


Artifice - The Copycat Killer

by girlfriendfromhell



Category: Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, M/M, Murder Mystery, Omasai - Freeform, Romance, oumasai, saioma, saiouma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:29:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 29,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23261005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/girlfriendfromhell/pseuds/girlfriendfromhell
Summary: Another day, another case: that was the world of the sleuth. Shuichi Saihara and Kyoko Kirigiri, detective extraordinaire, are sent to investigate and prevent a mystifying series of hit-list murders. Along with the help of DICE, Shuichi and Kyoko must uncover who is responsible for the waves of copycat killings before it's too late. Little did they know that what they thought was an every day investigation would soon become a fight for their lives. But what is Shuichi meant to do when he finds himself in the jaws of death?[This is a sequel to Deceit - The Phantom Thief. Please read that first! Parts of this story won't make sense otherwise.]
Relationships: Harukawa Maki/Momota Kaito, Oma Kokichi/Saihara Shuichi
Comments: 6
Kudos: 49





	1. A/N

Hey! Before you begin, please spare me a moment to say a few things. 

Firstly, this is the sequel to Deceit - The Phantom Thief. If you have not already, please read that first as a lot of the plot and events during the story will not make sense and will be very confusing to read on its own. Thank you. 

Secondly, this fic was written specifically for me - while Deceit was a vent, Artifice focuses more on my recovery. A lot of details relating to the characters, thematic elements and messages relate to myself or my life, so if you see something specific that you don't agree with, please don't say anything about it. Think of it as part of the plot if you must. 

Also, I don't intend to write any smut or graphic sex of any kind. If that's what you're looking for then please go somewhere else.

My wattpad is @/girlfriendfromhell

Thank you all so much for reading! 

I hope you enjoy the story.


	2. Initiation

He suffered nothing but bleak walls for company and a life of indignity, but he enjoyed the thrill. It was his shift to patrol the prison, though this time he had received a box of poorly baked cookies to pass on to a certain inmate.

He came to an abrupt, almost uncomfortable, stop outside of the cell, blood running cold at the thought of interacting with the offender on the other side. Nevertheless, he knocked and opened the slot on the bulky door to peer in.

"Someone's left you a gift," he said, "lucky you."

He fed it through the food hatch and did not wait another second before making his swift departure.

On the other side, the inmate grinned and waited for the guard to disappear far from the scene before making a move to retrieve it. 

"Finally..."

Although, peering into the box, the grin faltered.

There was a small note tucked into the box, envelope ripped open and letter very clearly already read by the police, but it wasn't like that was of any concern. Undermining the law was like second nature to all of them.

You had to be clever. 

Between two frail hands, the criminal held the crumpled paper and read.

' _It's never the same without you around. It's been a long while. I haven't been able to visit you lately and I'm going to be occupied for a while (you know how work is) so I baked you these instead. Though I should warn you, my cooking skills are terrible so I can't guarantee that they're edible._  
_I'll see you soon._ '

Perhaps too clever.

The prisoner took a cookie, odd in shape and size though somehow consistent with all, and broke it. Inside was a thin piece of metal which poked out. The rest were promptly broken too, and all of which full of little pieces of metal.

A giggle spilled past cracked lips as pale fingers got to work assembling the fragments. It took great concentration and immense skill, yet piecing together the sharp segments was surprisingly a simple task. Alas - it was done.

Held up against the daylight peeking through the barred window was a dagger, small but undoubtedly lethal. The blade was thin and crafted from a very special metal, one the criminals had created themselves, strong enough to tear through human bones like paper. 

Eyes lighting up, immediate work was made tampering with the electronic lock on the door. Little effort was needed to break it, as expected. Sparks flew as the door unlocked itself and, with great care, the prisoner peeked out.

The coast was clear.

Bare feet sped down the hall. Freedom was in near reach.

The world wasn't ready for the malice unleashed.

-

Shuichi Saihara couldn't help but avert his gaze from the rest of the group when Kaede asked the question he feared she would. 

She stumbled in through the brown doorway into the living room of Maki and Kaito, an expression of pure perplexity twisting the corners of her lips up into an unsure smile. And there it came: "Why is there cat litter beside the bath? I didn't know you had a cat."

Kokichi turned to grin at the group from where he sat inside the play pen with Iyu, Kaito and Maki's daughter. He rolled the ball they were playing with towards the toddler once more before focusing his attention completely on the hilarious, awkward shame rising in the room.

"We don't." Maki said.

Kaito pointed an accusing finger at Kokichi. "It's that brat's fault."

"Well, what did he do?" Kaede asked. She knew it couldn't have been good; the petty pranks between Kaito and Kokichi had become commonplace throughout the past couple of months.

"It's sort of a long story," Kaito started, "but I'll shorten it down. Maki asked Kokichi to tell me to buy diapers for Iyu, but instead he told me that Maki asked for me to buy her some cat litter. That idiot said that Maki said most people begin potty training their babies with cat litter because it soaks up the pee and it's closer to the ground than a real potty! The woman at the checkout looked horrified when she asked why I was buying cat litter for my daughter!"

Kaede frowned and took her seat beside Shuichi, who was visibly ashamed of his boyfriend. "Geez, Kokichi..."

Although, said boyfriend couldn't help but find the situation amusing, throwing his head back as he cackled like a drunken man at a comedy club. " _What?_ You guys need to learn how to lighten up! It's funny! He believed it! How could anyone be that gullible?"

Shuichi and Kokichi, despite being extremely close, hadn't been together for too long. Even though both had been interested in a relationship with one another, after the chaos two years prior which almost resulted in the destruction of civilisation and the end of the world, Kokichi wanted to focus on himself before rushing into anything. So Shuichi, respectful of his wishes, waited.

Kokichi had worked hard on bettering himself. Shuichi watched every day as he made progress, proud as ever, yet he never made a single move to intervene or stunt him. He acknowledged that Kokichi needed to do it alone, but he supported him all the way and would always be there to catch him if he fell. 

It took over a year and a half, but both of them still wanted to persue a relationship with each other. They were both happy with it so there was nothing holding them back from being with each other. That was what brought them here; six months into their relationship and spending their lazy days socialising with Shuichi's close friends.

"Why did it make _so much_ sense to me at the time?" groaned a rueful Kaito, who planted his head in his hands. 

Maki shot an icy glare in Kokichi's direction. "You're such a child; maybe you should stay in the play pen. Kaito could've gotten in big trouble."

"Hey now, it could've been worse; their prank war has been getting pretty intense lately." Kaede said in an attempt to cool down the situation. "Isn't that right, Shuichi?"

Shuichi knew just what Kaede was talking about. For the past few months, Kokichi and Kaito had been aggravating each other in the biggest prank war of their lifetime. It began with simple pranks like taking and hiding belongings, waking the other up with airhorns or hiding and jumping out on whoever walked into the trap. Over a short amount of time, however, this escalated to smashing valuable belongings over the top of the other's head, unpeeling all the bananas in the other's home, wrapping up the other's car in plastic film (finished off with a shiny bow) and at one point Kokichi came close to tattooing profanities on Kaito's face while he slept, but he was caught by Shuichi and scolded harshly for crossing the line.

The worst part was that Kokichi kept a small notebook which contained all of the pranks he'd ever pulled in his life, and from the look of it he seemed to be enjoying filling up the pages with Kaito's torment. Shuichi knew about the book, it was hard not to when Kokichi flaunted possessing it so much, but he'd never let Shuichi read it. Shuichi had asked to take a look, but Kokichi refused saying he'd spoil the fun. He had impossible hiding places around the apartment and Shuichi, despite being a talented detective and having lived in the apartment for a much longer time, could not find it.

Maybe the pranks were going too far, but Shuichi knew if he said that Kokichi would only laugh and drag him into it too, so it was better to stay silent and keep an eye on him.

He looked back up, weary, though he didn't particularly meet anyone's eyes. That would make his embarrassment worse. "Uh, yeah. And besides, in the end I paid for the diapers as an apology so it's all sorted now."

Kaito growled, "Yeah, but still! I can never show my face in there again!"

"Yes you can!" came a chirp, "Stop being such a pussy!"

"Kokichi!" snapped Shuichi, deeply apologetic. "Please mind your language around the baby..."

Shuichi really worried that some day Maki and Kaito would get angry at him for not teaching Kokichi how to keep his mouth shut. Although, it was already common knowledge that no one could keep Kokichi under control but himself. That, on it's own, was highly unlikely unless there was something to gain from it. 

"I won't hesitate to kill you." Maki threatened. 

Kaede turned to Kaito and decided to change the topic. "Why didn't you return the litter?"

He lifted his head from where it hung in regret. "Kokichi told me he and Shuichi were getting a cat for his birthday."

"Kokichi! I never agreed to that!" exclaimed Shuichi. 

"Oh, come on!" he huffed, "I wanna take care of and love something. Please!"

"We live in a flat, Kichi. We're too high up and we're rarely ever home." Shuichi reasoned, "Who would take care of it? I'm sorry, we're not getting any pets."

"Mean!" Kokichi turned away with a colossal pout and went back to playing with the baby. Kokichi claimed to hate babies, but that clearly wasn't the case. Whenever he and Shuichi went over Kaito and Maki's house he would play with their daughter with real care. He had taught her how to clap and how to roll balls back to him, and he always applauded her when she did so. "Iyu! Here comes the tickle monster!"

Shuichi always thought it was sweet, but he knew if he said anything about it or gazed over at him lovingly for too long Kokichi would catch on to being watched and stop. It was nice to watch him sometimes, especially at moments like this where he finally let his walls down. Babies couldn't judge him. 

He sighed at his boyfriend's bad attitude but relaxed when Kaede put a reassuring hand on his arm with a smile. It had been two years since the Phantom Thief case and still, no one had remembered a thing. She remembered nothing to do with her involvement either, luckily. Kaede had been getting professional help with dealing with the loss of her younger sister and Shuichi had noticed quite the change in her. He was so proud of her for working so hard. But he still couldn't - and would never - tell her the truth about her sister. It was something he'd take with him to his grave.

He returned the smile, warm and friendly as ever, before his phone buzzed in his pocket. He checked the notification. A text from famous detective, Kyoko Kirigiri.

Shuichi hadn't seen Kyoko for a while now, nor heard from her, so this took him so far aback his heart almost stopped. After the Phantom Thief case had drawn to a close they stopped interacting altogether, excluding the few odd cases where they were paired together again or Kyoko simply asked for his help. Regardless, they proved to be a great team.

Kaito took immediate note of the way Shuichi's eyebrows furrowed in what seemed to represent confusion, perhaps caution. "What's the matter?"

Kokichi, still sulking, peeked over his shoulder.

"Kyoko messaged me."

Kaede's eyes lit up, "You mean that pretty detective? She's so cool! What did she say?"

He swallowed. "New case. I think I'll need your help."

"So? Are you gonna?" sang Kokichi, an instant change in his demeanour, who was now hanging his arms over the top of the small white fence.

"I don't even know what it is, Ko." he said, but then he received a follow up for the first. "There's another: I know you've solved a murder before, so this shouldn't be too far out of your league. Let me know if you're interested."

"Investigating a murder? That sounds like it could be sorta fun!" beamed Kaede. 

Maki raised a brow. "I never thought you'd be one for murder mysteries, Kaede. You strike me as more of a cheesy cliché romance type."

She shook her head, "I'm not typically into that sort of stuff, I think it's horrible and gruesome. But if Kyoko is asking for help then you know it's gotta be good!"

"Y-Yeah, maybe," chuckled Shuichi, "though I have no idea why she'd think I could solve a murder."

"Then...what is it you do on your other cases with her?"

"Big drug busts, usually. Sometimes hostage situations and kidnappings. Dangerous stuff that requires company." he said. 

Kokichi nodded, almost as if he were including himself in Shuichi's experiences. "Yeah! Those cases exhaust him but he still continues to take them. I'm starting to think he likes the danger."

Shuichi bit his lip before responding. "It's not that I like it - it's just how the world is. I want to stop all these bad things from happening, or at least help reduce the numbers. That's all."

"Yeah, yeah. You love your job." Kokichi dismissed. And he was right, Shuichi did. Sometimes, at least. 

Shuichi hated the idea of digging up other people's secrets for money, but when it came to saving people and protecting those he cared about, that was a whole different ball game. Detective work wasn't too bad. 

Maki waited for silence, and then spoke. "So are you going to take it?"

"The case?" Shuichi thought for a moment, fingertips hovering above the keyboard. He was intrigued, he admit, and he was curious to see what type of case he'd be dealing with this time. What could the best detective in the country gain from him? But that wasn't too important. What was important was there was a murderer on the loose. And alongside Kyoko he was determined to bring them to justice. "I think I will."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapters are going to be significantly shorter than those in Deceit so I hope that doesn't deter anyone from reading. I intend to make the sequel much better than the first; it is quality over quantity after all! ;)


	3. And So It Began

It was only for a couple more hours they stayed before waving their friends goodbye and embarking on their journey back home for the night. Shuichi's attention had been absorbed by his phone, eager fingers tapping away at the keyboard. Kokichi occasionally tried to peek, but it was to no avail. Shuichi jerked the device away from him every time he tried to take a look.

"Put your phone away and give me attention!" he wailed. "I'll _die_ if you don't!" 

Shuichi sighed, "That's a bit dramatic, don't you think? I'm sure you'll live, Kokichi. I'm a little busy right now."

"Busy doing what? Talking to Kyoko?"

"Yes. It's about work..."

"Can't you talk to her later? I'm bored!"

Shuichi paused and looked at him with an apologetic frown. "Ah, fine then."

When Shuichi at long last put his phone away, Kokichi clung onto his arm with a smile. "What are you investigating? Can you tell me? Or is it more confidential stuff?"

"I'm afraid so," he said. "I shouldn't be telling you anything either way, Kokichi. Besides, Kyoko can't tell me anything right now because she doesn't know the exact details yet."

Kokichi screwed his face up. "Then...what was the point in asking you about it?" 

"She mentioned there should be a meeting with the agency she works for tomorrow and she needs me to join her." Shuichi explained.

"Can I come?"

"No."

"But I wanna spend time with you!"

"I know... But after the case is closed we can spend some quality time together, yeah? I'll take you out to that petting zoo you like. You did say you wanted a cat." Shuichi smiled. 

"You mean it? Awesome!" he rejoiced, but then his smile faltered. "But then what am I supposed to do all day in the mean time? Nothing? Perish?"

Shuichi raised a brow, though he meant no harm. "Get a job?"

"Too much responsibility," Kokichi huffed in disapproval, but quickly recovered to continue bombarding Shuichi with questions. "Will you tell me what happens in the briefing afterwards?"

"Only if it's something I'm not sworn to secrecy about."

"I'll find out about it anyway," he tugged on Shuichi's arm with playful intent as he giggled deviously up at him. His voice dropped to a menacing whisper. "I know where you hide your diary."

Shuichi paled. "No you don't! And it's not a diary! It's a _journal!_ "

"I was just messing with you...but now it seems like you've got something to hide. Hm?" He poked his chest. " _Hm?_ " 

Shuichi glared at him. 

"OK, OK, just kidding," he admitted, though he removed his hands from Shuichi's arm to raise them as if under attack.

It was comfortably silent for the rest of the walk home, but that only made it easier to tune into the world around him. He laid his eyes on the sky where the sunset had left a painting in its wake, drifting down across the blanket of a peaceful June. The days, stretching to meet the distant horizon, seemed to be much longer, but every minute was worth it with Kokichi by his side.

Sometimes when he had time like this to reflect he often pondered how unlikely of a pair he and Kokichi could've been. Kokichi was a sunset type of guy, he was one of sunrise. They lived at opposite ends of the day but together they made up the whole sky. He liked to think that they were destined to be, even if he wasn't quite the romantic type. 

Kokichi was very much like the sunset. Few bothered to look anymore at a blessing that only came once a day. Or in this instance, once a lifetime. They had met under hugely challenging circumstances. It was shocking that despite that they'd hated each other in the beginning, in the end their stance on each other had drastically changed. He supposed they were more alike than he had thought, there was a very fine line between criminal and detective after all. Two sides of the same coin, and two peas in a pod.

Even after the 'death' of the Phantom Thief, it still felt like he was chasing him sometimes. Kokichi's personality didn't change in the slightest and he was as secretive as ever, but that only made Shuichi far more curious about him.

He looked over to him and noted the familiar way he walked with a spring in his step like the sun which brightens the storm, hands laced behind his head without a single care in the world. 

He could never tell what he was thinking, he was a mystery; sometimes it was hard to comprehend that he was real. He could never jump to conclusions with him either, his brain worked in miraculous ways. Almost eccentric. Shuichi wouldn't have it any other way; he loved mysteries.

As they arrived at their building Kokichi made a dash for the doors declaring he'd race him to the apartment. Shuichi wasn't one for running when he didn't need to, nor was he a fan of sports or exercise, so he allowed Kokichi to run ahead. Kokichi would likely arrive at the front door, realise he wasn't in possession of the keycard and run back down to demand him to hurry up before running back up again. It wasn't the first time, neither was it the second, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. He was used to his strange, childish mannerisms by then.

Shuichi took his time making his way up to his apartment and found an impatient Kokichi slouched against the door. 

"What are you doing?" Shuichi chuckled as he extended a hand to help Kokichi up. 

He took it weakly. "Dying. M'hungry."

"Then let's get you something to eat," he said, and unlocked the door.

As soon as the door opened, Kokichi scrambled inside. "I'm making dinner!"

Shuichi almost nodded at the statement and headed in after him calmly, kicking off his shoes beside the door. And then it struck him what Kokichi had announced, dread ran through his veins as thick as oil. 

"Oh no you don't! Not alone you're not!" he scampered into the kitchen behind him, grabbing his wrist gently to pull him away from the several utensils he couldn't be trusted with. "Especially not after you sent the toaster up in flames by trying to toast books. _Paper!_ In a machine with _fire!_ No!"

"That was only one time!" Kokichi protested. His expression faltered a little more when he caught the glare Shuichi was giving him. "OK, so maybe it was twice. But that was all!"

"You set the stove on fire cooking pasta. How did you even manage that?"

Kokichi bit the inside of his cheek. "Maybe. _But_ you have no proof it was me."

Shuichi decided to ignore his ridiculous argument and opened the fridge. "Fine, fine. But I'm cooking with you just to make sure we're staying alive another day. Is there anything in particular you wanted to make?"

And that was how the rest of Shuichi's evening went before he retired for the night: bossed around by his importunate sweetheart as he taught him how to make his favourite meal.

He hoped that many more were to come.

-

When dawn had come and the sun had risen, Shuichi couldn't help but notice the now unfamiliar absence of a smaller, warmer body beside his own. It was still a single bed he slept in - not a single upgrade had been made to his sleeping quarters since Kokichi moved in. 

Shuichi sat up and rubbed his eyes with the backs of lethargic fingers, frowning at the empty spot beside him. Kokichi usually woke him up when getting out of bed. He got up, slid his feet into black slippers and made his way into the living room.

Perhaps Kokichi had actually gone to aquire the information he desired, he briefly considered, before catching sight of a note on the dining table and smothering the thought.

The note, written messily in purple crayon, read:  
**_ɢᴏɴᴇ 2 ᴄ ᴅɪᴄᴇ. ʙ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ʟ8ʀ! ɢᴏᴏᴅ ʟᴜᴄᴋ ᴛᴏᴅᴀʏ :)_**

Since the Phantom Thief case ended, DICE changed their entire organisation to work for good. Besides, it was best their tech didn't get into the wrong hands. Avoiding another end-of-the-world plot would be very much appreciated. Though Kokichi had disbanded the organisation, they still referred to each other as if they were still a part of it, and still even had their headquarters. Now, they were playing ball on a whole other court.

They spent their free time working as private detectives, often assisting Shuichi in his most perplexing situations while simultaneously focusing on their own. On top of that, they had begun to live free lives following their dreams, released from eternal confinement.

They had all completed their community service with no more than a few tantrums from Kokichi, but all accepted their punishment. It was a much better alternative to a prison sentence so they made sure to take what they could get. In all honesty, Shuichi simply didn't want either Kokichi or Kaede to get hurt. It was best to keep DICE's existence a secret.

Nevertheless, today was a busy day so Shuichi couldn't let a group of petty criminals distract him. As long as Kokichi was happy, he was happy. That was the main thing.

Shuichi quickly rushed to get ready and dressed himself up in his smartest pinstriped jacket, and headed out to meet Kyoko at the café.

Soon enough he arrived and found her leaning against the wall with a small brown cup in her hands. When she caught sight of him, she only offered a nod of acknowledgement as she finished her drink.

"Good morning," she said, walking towards a black car pulled over in front of her. "Let's go."

She pulled the door open and ushered Shuichi into the cab. He climbed in without protest, though he did return the greeting. "Where are we going?"

Kyoko sat beside him and shut the door. "To the meeting."

"I know, but where?" his lips formed a smile, though sheepish.

She blinked. "My agency's office building."

"Makes sense," he chuckled lightly, but when Kyoko didn't react he sunk backwards into his seat and shut his mouth, staring out of the window to avoid her piercing gaze.

The cab started to move. That was the beginning of another exciting case. And with Kyoko, he was sure it would be a challenge.

Despite enjoying working with Kyoko, Shuichi still always felt extremely intimidated by her whenever she was around. She wasn't as bad as he initially thought she'd be, he knew she needed to be scary and cold; she took her job very seriously. Shuichi already understood that, regarding her status, she had seen some terrible things.

The car ride felt like an eternity. No radio, no conversation, just the company of speed bumps, movie-like images through the windows and a whirring engine. The build-up to the meeting was not at all settling his anxiety frothing in his stomach. Especially when the taxi pulled over in front of a frighteningly tall, grey building towering up into the sky, windows as substitutes for walls.

Kyoko must have registered the dread reflecting from his eyes as it inclined her to ask, "What's the matter? It's just an office. I assume you've been in an office before."

He shook his head. "I have, but this is just...wow."

"Come on," she said. Kyoko got out of the car and Shuichi followed suit, wandering after her into the perilous mouth of the building.

They took the lift up to the seventh floor. The ride made Shuichi feel uneasy, like the world was spinning beneath his feet. When they stepped out, he nearly forgot how to breathe. 

She led him to a waiting room much different from what he was used to. While his uncle's agency's waiting area was a dull grey, here it was far more classy. The walls were a glossy cream and the ceramic flooring was beige; in a way it reminded him of Kaede's home, except here didn't exert the same lighthearted, welcoming energy. Here radiated waves of intimidation and oppression, and while extremely spacious, Shuichi couldn't help but feel claustrophobic.

Kyoko ordered Shuichi to take a seat while she spoke to the receptionist. There was a coffee machine in the far corner of the room; Shuichi saw a man using it. He wanted some coffee to wake him up and prepare him for the meeting ahead but he wisely decided against it. At home he could have all the coffee he needed. 

Not even a minute later, Kyoko returned to his side. She glanced at him. "I can see you eyeing up the coffee machine. 6-7 won't let you bring something like that into her office. She has a brand new white carpet."

He turned to her. "Who's 6-7?"

"My boss. The woman we're waiting to see."

"Oh." Well that made a lot of sense. 

"I should warn you, don't interrupt her when she's talking and you might make it out in one piece."

Shuichi considered replying but decided to keep his mouth shut. His head turned towards the heavy brown door beside the reception desk opening and a man came hurrying towards the elevator, quivering as be snivelled into his arm. Shuichi gulped.

" _Why is he crying?_ You look like you want to ask." Kyoko said.

He breathed a faint laugh. "Something like that." he paused. "Is 6-7 scary?" 

Kyoko smiled, though it was evidently fake. "He's the one who spilled coffee on her carpet."

It didn't take long for the cogs to turn in his head before he realised just what sort of person he was dealing with. He held back a shudder. 

Just then, a voice from the reception desk called out for them. "6-7 will see you now."

Kyoko stood without another word and began to walk confidently towards the doors. Shuichi followed very close behind, yet he couldn't grasp how she could be so calm even when face to face with the woman who could make a fully grown man cry over a stained carpet. 

They were engulfed by darkness.

Once again, the atmosphere differed greatly to what he was used to. His uncle's office was far smaller in retrospect (due to rarely being offered larger cases) and though initially dark, Shuichi wasn't prepared for the blinding light piercing his vision. 

The office was high up, walls made of glass letting the scorching June sun wake the otherwise gloomy room. Great shadows were cast across the furniture like Judgement Day was upon them, long shadowy shapes contorting the reliability of their eyesight as the daring duo took a seat. It appeared the sunlight didn't hurt Kyoko's eyes, or at least she didn't show it, but Shuichi fought to keep his own eyes open. 

He blinked away the tears blurring his sight further and when he finally managed to get his vision back into focus he noted the sharp silhouette of a tall woman of slender stature against the beams of sunlight. He couldn't make out any of her facial features, but he could see her dark hair tied tightly into a neat bun which rested at the top of her head. She had long bony fingers which peeked from her pristine white blazer, intertwined with one another on her knee which was crossed neatly over the other.

His gaze shifted downwards to her mahogany desk and landed on a golden plaque reading ' **67** '. At first Shuichi suspected this may be her age, but the odds were highly unlikely, as unlikely as being her initials when she appeared so young. Perhaps it was a codename? 

6-7 checked the red alarm clock on her desk, an unusual decoration for such a fine establishment. She picked it up, inspected the clock face and gently put it back down again, carefully positioning it to her liking.

"Right on time," she said eyeing them both, though quickly caught eyes with Shuichi, "I expect no less from the noble Kirigiri bloodline. You must be the Shuichi Saihara I've heard about.'

"I-I am." he confirmed. 

She took a moment before continuing her deadpan address. "Detective Kirigiri has told me all about you, as if I didn't know before. She recommended you for this specific case." 6-7 paused again, stretched her fingers and laced them together again, all while maintaining cold eye contact with him. "However, looking over your details, you don't seem very special. There is no record of you solving any particular big case without assistance. I do wonder what makes you so special."

"I--" Though he wanted nothing more than to defend himself, Shuichi stopped, remembering Kyoko's one piece of advice. 

6-7 slammed her fist upon the desk. The stationary in the pencil holder jumped in terror. "Quiet! If you want this job, learn some manners." She straightened up having lost her temper, yet strove to keep full composure. "You listen good and listen well because I am only saying this once. The sole reason I am giving someone like you a chance is because I trust Kirigiri's judgement. Do not make me regret my decision."

"I won't."

"Good." She shot a smile in Kyoko's direction. "Thank you for attending Kirigiri. We received a tip from an untraceable source claiming the confirmation of the deaths of several celebrities. At first we suspected it was a hoax, until Himiko Yumeno was found dead in her home last night."

Shuichi's jaw dropped and the colour drained from his face like wax on a candle. That name...was far too familiar. 

"You look quite shaken hearing her name, Detective Saihara," 6-7 pointed out with a brow raised, full of suspicion. 

"I... I just knew her, that's all. Well, not personally. My uncle and I had to deal with her stalker a couple of times. It was an unusual case. They were friends, but the stalker crossed too many boundaries so we had to put a restraining order in place. Ah, she wasn't happy with that at all." he said, unaware of his rambling. 

"Himiko Yumeno was unhappy with the restraining order?" asked 6-7.

"No, her stalker," corrected Shuichi. 

"And this stalker's name?" 

"Tenko Chabashira."

6-7 cracked her knuckles. "We have a lead, great. I'll have that looked into right away."

Shuichi frowned. "We're not investigating her murder?" 

"No, you are not investigating her murder. There are more names on the hit list so we have sent a few of our finest investigators on that mission - they are on the scene right now." She neatened a pile of papers and took out a brown envelope from the middle. "The next name on the list is Rantaro Amami; an explorer famous for travelling the world in only fifty days. He lives in a mansion out in the countryside - I'll give you the address in a moment. Your mission is to retrieve him and bring him in unscathed. What happens next is none of your concern."

She slid the envelope to the other side of the desk and Kyoko took it before Shuichi could reach for it. He leaned towards her to take a look at its contents. 

Kyoko pulled out a series of photographs, one of which caught Shuichi's eye and made his blood run colder. It was a picture of Himiko Yumeno's front door with a big red X painted across it. She produced another photo, albeit very similar to the first - this was no doubt Rantaro Amami's. Again, the same vandalism appeared in a blood-like red. 

Kyoko retrieved something else from the envelope; a letter it seemed. They read through it carefully before sharing a brief knowing glance this was the 'tip' sent to the agency, though it was evident to be much more than that. Both doors had been vandalised with red crosses, and at the bottom of the note, like the devil's signature, there it was. A red X. 

The mark of the killer.

"Rantaro Amami reported finding this mark on his door this morning and was instructed to call if anything happens. We suspect the killer may strike at nightfall so retrieve him as soon as you can."

The words faded out into one deep spiralling blur. Shuichi swallowed and his mouth tasted like metal. Kyoko and 6-7 were talking to one another in a way that was almost secretive, but he wasn't listening. He was too focused on mustering up all of his determination to apprehend Himiko Yumeno's killer. 

He jumped slightly when he felt a tap on his shoulder and his head snapped up to meet Kyoko's. 

"We're leaving," she said. 

He got up without hesitation and began to advance towards the door. 

"You."

Shuichi paused, frozen on the spot and looked back over his shoulder. 

"Do not let me down."

He nodded and quickly left the office. 

-

On the cab ride back, Shuichi was deathly silent, staring out of the window as if searching for something. An answer or a reason, maybe. All he knew was he had to catch Tenko Chabashira, who was the prime suspect of being the culprit behind the murder of her so-called best friend, Himiko Yumeno. Although, he had his doubts. If that were the case, what connection was there between Himiko and Rantaro? A magician and an explorer?

There always had to be some sort of connection.

He cleared his throat, realising he didn't recognise the area, and asked, "Where are we going?"

She looked at him like he was insane. "Rantaro Amami's mansion."

 _Oh. Already?_ "How do you know the address?"

"6-7 gave it to us during the briefing. Were you paying any attention?"

"I guess not."

Silence.

"Can I ask you a question?" Shuichi asked.

Kyoko shook her head. "Save it for later. We're here."

"Hm?" He looked out the window and, passing through a wide field of blossoming flowers and neatly trimmed hedges, through astonished eyes he saw the grand establishment of Rantaro Amami.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next part out next Sunday! Thanks for reading!


	4. Retrieve And Retreat

Shuichi clambered awestruck out of the vehicle as soon as it pulled over and Kyoko followed him to the front door. He looked up at the great building, a wide expanse of white stretching across the field, windows neatly arranged at each level of the building, each of which decorated neatly with a small flowerbed filled with blue. He saw the roof as they were driving in - it was the colour of rust and the habitat of many aerials. 

The front door was tall and black, but the angry red cross was clear as day. Kyoko inspected it and, with a gentle hand, traced her finger over a small fraction of paint to study the parts that flaked onto her glove. 

"It definitely is paint." she confirmed. 

"What else would it be?" Shuichi rebutted. She glared at him and then somehow he knew the answer. "Oh..."

Kyoko went to knock, raising her fist at the wood, but suddenly paused in her antics. "That's strange."

Shuichi took a moment before he caught the door being slightly ajar. He really was off his game today; maybe it was the nerves. "Kyoko—" 

"Shh...listen."

She pointed upwards and like on cue, sounds of footsteps - heavy thuds like frantic running - thundered from within. In the midst of all the commotion they heard a male voice scream for help. 

Kyoko pushed the door open. "Let's go!" 

The detectives dashed into the depths of danger, legs carrying them through the entry hall and up the carpeted stairs as quickly as their bodies allowed. Neither of them had time to properly take in their surroundings; the adrenaline made everything a whizzing blur.

It was Shuichi who reached the source of the pleas for help first, but the door was shut tight and the more he rattled the handle, the more panicked he became - it was jammed. Kyoko shoved him out of the way and, unlike anything Shuichi had seen before, she mustered up all her strength and booted the door open. 

A long haired woman took a leap of faith from the open window and disappeared from view. A loud shatter rang out a moment later as Kyoko sprinted over to where she vanished. 

Shuichi looked around the room desperately, eyes landing on absolutely everything in sight to search for the mansion owner - the made bed, the chest of drawers, the TV, the closed door with a dumbell holding it shut. He blinked, scrambled towards it and kicked it onto his side. With his foot he rolled it away and opened the door to find their second victim. 

But they weren't too late. The man was breathing, lime eyes wide and pupils pinpricks, bound tightly in his en-suite with an extension cord. They were right on time. 

Shuichi knelt down to meet him and fumbled to untie the man. "Are you okay?" 

"Yeah, fine thanks. I didn't think anyone would be coming to save me." the man laughed, a sigh of relief escaping his lips.

"It really was lucky timing." Shuichi smiled. He put the cord to one side and helped him stand. "I'm Detective Saihara, but I'd prefer if you just called me Shuichi. That's Detective Kirigiri."

"I know who she is already. She's that famous detective, big fan of her really." He shook Shuichi's hand. "Rantaro Amami."

Kyoko approached the pair. She was writing something in her small black notepad.

"What are you writing?" asked Shuichi.

"The suspect escaped in a red car, not very discreet. I memorised the registration plate number. Once this gets traced back to its owner we'll have our culprit," she said. She took out her phone and began the witch hunting process.

Shuichi stood silently. He felt awkward. Here he was, being useless as ever, standing between two outstanding celebrities. He was a nobody. It made it even more humiliating. "I, uh... Do you need any medical attention?"

"No thanks," Rantaro said, "I'm fine. Just a little shaken, but I've had it worse before. I'm used to it."

Shuichi raised a concerned brow. "You're used to people trying to kill you?"

"It's all part of the job."

"What job?"

"Exploring."

Shuichi's face screwed up. "Why would that make people want to kill you?"

"I actually ran into a little trouble with a criminal organisation on the rise while out adventuring recently." Rantaro admitted, "My bad, really."

"What did you do to make them want to kill you?" Shuichi continued. He had no idea exploring could be so dangerous. 

Rantaro grinned. "I assume you've heard the expression 'curiosity killed the cat', right?" Shuichi knew all too well. Remembering the note he found on his door still made him shudder. "Well sometimes that phrase rings true. Some things are best left unknown."

Kyoko looked up from the screen. "What are you talking about?"

Rantaro ran his fingers through his hair awkwardly. "Haha, don't worry about it. Don't mind me, that's a story for another day. Besides, I don't wanna drag you people into this type of stuff."

"What type of stuff?" asked Shuichi. His interest really had been captured now.

"You sure do ask a lot of questions." Rantaro chuckled.

The detective's face fell. "Sorry."

"Nah, don't be. You're just doing your job." He beamed and turned to look at Kyoko whose face was twisted up in frustration. "Woah, what's up with that look?"

"The vehicle," she began, "it's stolen."

Shuichi huffed, "Really? That's no good."

"It was reported missing a week ago. It's likely been abandoned now."

"So what do we do with Rantaro?" asked Shuichi. 

Rantaro looked back and forth between them hopefully but when no one spoke he piped up with: "I'm not safe here so I'll need relocation and surveillance. I can also provide some potential leads for your investigation, but I think I should get out of here first. Can either of you help with that?"

"Um, could you give us a moment?" Shuichi pulled Kyoko aside for a moment and lowered his voice as much as he could. "Don't we have to take him back to 6-7?"

"Yes." she said. "We should follow orders. Why?" 

"He did say he could help with the investigation. Plus if there's anything he knows it could be extremely helpful to us." 

"So what's stopping us from interviewing him back at the office?" 

"What if 6-7 doesn't let us?"

She frowned. "Then that's that. But I requested you for this case for a reason..."

"So you're going to defy your boss?" he said. 

Shuichi looked to Kyoko, who gave him a harsh eye in return. "A little," Nevertheless, she had to take the initiative and turned back to Rantaro. "Come with me. I'll take you someplace safe to hide for the night and we can pick this up again in the morning. How does that sound?" 

Rantaro smiled. "Great."

"That settles it then," Kyoko said. "We're about to leave so pack the essentials. Shuichi, would you like to be driven home?" 

"Yeah, thanks."

-

The cab dropped him off outside his apartment building and left with Rantaro and Kyoko. Like instinct, Shuichi looked up and scanned the windows. His bedroom light was on - Kokichi was home (and he had very obviously scaled the building again; the window at the end of his bed was still open). He made his way up to his apartment quickly. 

The moment Shuichi opened the door the sweet scent of vanilla flooded his senses and filled the air, like beckoning him closer. 

"Kokichi? What have you been doing?" He immediately noticed the coffee table which usually sat in between the sofa and TV was missing.

He tread further inside and kicked off his loafers beside his Oxfords, following his nose like a dog into the bedroom. 

In the center of the room was the missing furniture. He smiled ear to ear at its decoration, counter covered corner to corner in small plates of cakes. Tea had even been prepared, too. 

"Come out, come out, wherever you are." Shuichi playfully called, voice like a siren's song and sanded around the edges as he advanced into the room. It almost made him jump when he felt two thin arms around his waist, and he would've if he hadn't heard the pitter-pattering of bare feet across the floor coming towards him. 

"I'm here!" Kokichi sang against his back. "Look at what I did! I cooked!" 

"Baked," corrected the detective, "they're cakes, you baked."

"Yeah well if you cook a bake then you bake a cook." Kokichi shrugged, grabbed Shuichi by the hand and led him over to sit on the bed. "Not the point! Try something. Boomer helped me."

"Ah, did he now?" He picked up a muffin and took a bite. It tasted like Boomer's baking, definitely, but that wasn't a negative. Boomer, or formerly known as Kenta Tanaka, was an extremely talented chef who preached the benefits of healthy eating. He always made delicious food, cakes in particular, and prided himself in the low calorie food he produced. "Your cooking skills are always improving, Ko! I'm proud of you. Maybe you should cook for me more."

"I thought you said it was baking." Kokichi smirked. 

He shoved Kokichi's arm gently. "Be quiet, you. You know what I mean."

Kokichi swung his legs and hummed sweetly to himself as he watched his boyfriend eat through enchanted eyes, and then he asked, "So how'd the meeting go?" 

Shuichi choked. Kokichi patted his back. "It was alright. 6-7 is scarier than I thought but it's over now."

"What's 6-7? Police code for something?"

"Kyoko's boss."

He thought for a second. "That's a really dumb name."

"Maybe."

"So? What happened?"

Shuichi folded up the paper casing and placed it on the table. "A lot, really. Today's been so long already and I feel useless... I'm glad you've made this for us."

Kokichi shook his head. "Nuh uh. Not us, _you_."

"I'd rather we share this together, though." he said with a soft chuckle.

"Stupid head." Kokichi snorted. "But this is super off topic! What happened? What was so bad?"

Shuichi stirred. "You remember Himiko Yumeno, right? She came over once."

"Nope."

"The magician?"

"Nuh uh."

The detective sighed. "The red-head who thinks she's a mage?"

"Oh! _That_ Himiko Yumeno!" he gasped. "No idea."

Shuichi frowned. "You're messing with me."

Kokichi put a hand to his chest and his jaw dropped melodramatically. "Me? I would _never!_ "

"Himiko is dead."

"Oh... OK then," he mumbled, eyes wide but trained on anything but Shuichi. "Ah well, my bad."

"It is your bad."

"So, carry on then!" Kokichi chimed. "Did you catch her killer?"

Shuichi shook his head. "We weren't assigned her case. There's others being targeted too. We ended up going to Rantaro Amami's mansion instead." He filled him in on everything else and caught him up to speed.

Kokichi leapt up from the bed with a wide smile. "That's crazy! That's like- a real murder case!"

"All murder cases are real." said Shuichi.

"Except if they faked their death! That's not real! But this is cool!" he chirped. "Can I come tomorrow? You can pretend that I'm your nifty little sidekick who is DEFINITELY a detective and not an ex-criminal mastermind."

Shuichi handed him another cake and told him to sit down. "No, sorry Kokichi. It's work, not playtime."

He pouted. "You think I'm too fun for work? I've helped you with your investigations before."

" _This_ type of work, yes. Besides, I prefer having fun with you here at home, just not when there are lives at risk. I don't want you to get involved with things like this." Shuichi reassured him. He placed a hand on his forearm. "You know I care about you, right? I don't mean to be mean. I don't ever want you to get hurt because of me and my work."

Kokichi scowled at the floor as he shoved his food into his mouth. "Yeah, yeah, I get it."

"Thank you." Shuichi stood and ruffled his hair. It felt especially soft. It was clear where half the bottle of conditioner had mysteriously vanished to over the past few days. "Do you want to watch a movie together?" 

Kokichi perked up. "Mean Girls!" 

"Again?" 

"Yeah! It was the first thing we watched together!" 

Shuichi laughed. "And at this rate it'll be the last."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" 

"Don't worry."

"Whatever!" He slipped his fingers in between Shuichi's. "C'mon!" 

The gesture brought a great smile to Shuichi's lips. He adored him. He wished every moment of his life could be this full of bliss and happiness, just like August 17th 2021; the day he finally came to life. Every day with him was paradise. Just he and Kokichi in a universe of their own, and no one else to distract them. He wanted to stay this happy forever, like characters from a book. Maybe one day they would have their fairytale ending.

And if they didn't? This was more than enough.

-

The nighttime air hit like a blizzard as the prisoner dragged their almost numb, drenched body from the water. It wasn't a pleasant journey they had embarked on, but what could one do after escaping the highest security jail in the country? Navigating across the ocean wasn't that hard, not if you knew what you were doing.

That being said, they certainly had some room for improvement. They were soaking wet, soaked through to the bone, and there was nowhere nearby to dry off.

Fortunately, the agreed meet-up destination wasn't too far away, maybe an hour's gruelling trudge through the wilderness. All they needed to do was make it there, and then their great scheme could go forth. Step one had already been employed while they escaped, they hoped this was enough to raise a few brows - the brows of the poor unfortunate souls who were the intended targets - and get the ball rolling.

They cracked a smile, shed their clothes and sank their feet into the wet sand. If anyone were to see them, it would be game over, but dagger still in tow of a skilled hand, any opposition didn't stand a chance.

The heavy crashing of fearful waves, as if understanding the criminal's intentions, drowned out the sound of squawking laughter as they made their advance into the unknown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I get ONE comment referencing Frozen 2 you're ALL dead to me
> 
> Updates again next Sunday.


	5. Of Explorers And Pianists

Morning came and Kokichi was cuddled up to Shuichi so snug the detective was almost reluctant to get up. He was snoring softly and drooling all over his white top, but Shuichi didn't mind. He thought Kokichi's sleeping face was cute but, unlike his shameless boyfriend who was happy to stare, he didn't want to seem like a creep, so whenever he felt like Kokichi may wake up he looked away. 

Making an effort to keep his movements to a jolt-making minimum, he retrieved his phone from under his pillow. There was a message from Kyoko waiting for him telling him to meet her at the café at nine. 

It was almost time, but he didn't want to go. That would mean waking Kokichi up from his peaceful slumber and disrupting how quiet and relaxed his entire form was - eyelids still, lips slightly parted, hair sprawled out across his shoulder - Kokichi looked so angelic when he was sleeping. An astronomical contrast to who he was when he was conscious. Shuichi didn't want to take his eyes off of him. 

"I know you're staring at me," came a mumble, "I'm just too cute, aren't I?" 

Shuichi shoved Kokichi off gently and pressed his face into his hands with an embarrassed groan. 

Kokichi rolled over onto his side. "It's OK, Shu. You can keep looking if you want." 

"Shut up, you're evil." Shuichi said, getting up to get dressed. "I'm going out in a bit. Is there anything you want for breakfast before I leave?" 

He put a finger to his chin as he watched his boyfriend remove his shirt. "Well maybe there's one thing..." he smirked. 

"Yeah?" Shuichi recognised that tone of voice anywhere. He held his breath to brace himself. 

"OK, so I want a stack of pancakes absolutely drowned in syrup (and not the cheap stuff! I want the nice stuff we got from that fancy restaurant we went to that one time). Oh! Oh! And I want olives and sliced mangos and some buttered bread and a bit of salsa! But not together, that's just gross. Oh yeah, I want some cheesy fries too, like the mozzarella ones and uh, onion rings but I don't want the onions, just the rings. And..." He continued his list of demands until Shuichi wisely evacuated the bedroom. "Hey! Where are you going? I'm not done!"

"Cereal is in the cupboard!" Shuichi called back.

"I'll put the milk in first! And I'll microwave it!"

"Please don't." He promptly shut the door behind him as he made his leave for the café.

It was only ten minutes later he burst through the doors of the homely café, warm and busy. In the corner of the room Shuichi could see Rantaro and Kyoko. He hurried to join them.

"Morning!" the explorer beamed, "Kyoko bought you coffee, here, you should thank her." He slid the mug over to him.

Shuichi returned the smile. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." she said. She passed the conversation back over to Rantaro.

"OK, so now that you're here we can start. It's sort of a long story," he said, "but every word I'm about to say is true. I was out one night on my yacht looking for an eighth sea when I got caught up in the midst of a devastating storm. The rain was merciless, the wind was harsh and the waves were choppy. Suddenly I was thrown overboard into the cold, treacherous clutches of the sea. When I regained consciousness I found myself washed up on a beach I didn't recognise. At first I thought I was stranded so I decided to search for help. I soon found myself lost in a forest of palm trees but I continued walking to find a way out, until I came across a shady group lurking amidst the green. I thought maybe they could help me, until it was clear what they were doing. I tried to leave as quietly as possible, but they saw me and chased me out. I escaped, luckily, by sneaking on a boat leaving the port and I was able to return home. Now they want me dead because I saw something I shouldn't have."

Shuichi put his coffee down on the table. "What did you see?"

Rantaro tapped the side of his nose. The light above them bounced from his hand, covered in rings. "I can't say."

"Then what's the name of the island?"

"Loradsey Island. The resort there is extraordinary."

Kyoko cleared her throat. "We should go if this criminal organisation are the same people as those marking others."

"But if it's such an astonishing place like Rantaro said then...won't it be expensive to stay at the resort?" wondered Shuichi. "I don't make that sort of money."

"Hey, don't worry about it. I'll cover all expenses for two weeks. That should be enough time to do your detective work." Rantaro offered.

"Sounds good." Kyoko said. "When does the next boat board?"

"I looked into it earlier and there's one boat every three days; two boats run from the docks here. The next boat is in two days." he stated, turning to look at the detective who had gone oddly silent.

Kyoko didn't notice at first, "That's enough time to prepare, thank you." and then she saw his downcast expression. "What's the matter Shuichi?"

He frowned. "What do I do about Kokichi? I can't leave him alone for two weeks, he doesn't have a keycard; I gave my only spare to Kaede ages ago. It'd be wrong to take it back."

Shuichi couldn't leave him behind by himself. He'd miss him and Kokichi would likely terrorise Kaito on a whole other level, manage to burn the entire apartment complex down and get arrested for a very petty crime all within the same week. He didn't like to be apart for too long. Of course he liked his occasional breaks from being his full-time babysitter, but two weeks? He'd go mad without Kokichi to keep him grounded.

"Then bring your roommate along. Hell, bring all your friends, might as well have some fun." suggested the explorer. His smile was warm and friendly, Shuichi noted, but there was an air of coolness around him that he couldn't quite explain. It was strangely calming; perhaps it was his cologne.

The carefree suggestion didn't go as smoothly with Kyoko, who deadpanned blankly. "It's work, not a holiday."

He dismissed her comment with a cheerful chuckle. "Whatever you say, but a little company never hurt anyone. In fact, it's a lot more fun _and worthwhile_ to travel with a group."

She didn't dignify his persuasion with a response. She said nothing, opting to sip her tea instead.

Shuichi met Rantaro's composed eyes with his own unsure, "Is it really okay to bring him along?"

"Yeah, it's no problem at all."

He got up. "Thanks. I should probably go now. I'll meet you guys at the docks in two days then."

"10 a.m! Don't be late or we'll leave without you." warned the adventurer, a frisky dazzle to his tone.

Shuichi bid them farewell and left the café, having paid Kyoko back for the coffee. He was feeling a lot more awake now, and it made his brain jump into action.

If he were to be leaving the country he'd need to let his uncle know before he worried and sent out a search party looking for him - it wouldn't be the first time. Shuichi tried calling him but he didn't pick up. He tried again, and again. No response. It was frustrating, and a Tuesday. Why would he be so busy on a Tuesday morning? He liked Tuesdays because they weren't Mondays, which were always the busiest, so his silence was strange.

Shuichi decided to drop by the office - he was heading in that direction anyway. He walked a little faster. While his uncle liked Tuesdays, he hated afternoons regardless of what day it was. It was best to catch him in a good mood, especially when talking to the overprotective man about travelling for work.

Although, when he arrived at the office all the lights were off and the door was locked. He peered inside, forehead pressed against the glass. There was nobody inside. It wasn't usually closed...unless his uncle had gone out on serious business. Like meeting with Shuichi's parents for lunch to discuss _him_ , above all other things. 

That wouldn't be good.

Shuichi wasn't close with his parents. He didn't like them, but he didn't hate them either. Thinking about them disheartened him, however. Talking about them brought a bitter taste to his tongue and made his head hurt. Part of him didn't want anything to do with them.

He sighed and fogged up his reflection in the glass to hide the pathetic product of his parents. Next to the steamed up area stood the reflection of a familiar bright eyed face. He didn't think to react at first, mistaking him for mere imagination. And then he spun around just to confirm his mind wasn't playing tricks on him. 

"Geez, I wasn't expecting to see you around here, Kich." he murmered through a welcoming smile.

His boyfriend grinned. "Yeah, well I'm here on business."

The smile seemed...ingenuine, like he wanted him to search for something. Kokichi's hands were behind his back - did he have something? "Business? Is that so?"

And there it was. The moment he'd been waiting for. Out from behind Kokichi's back came the hat Shuichi used to wear so protectively, like a lucky charm. He put it on with a gleeful flourish. "Yep, you heard right! I'm Detective Kokichi Saihara (yup! That's me!) and you're under arrest for making me eat cereal for breakfast!" He grabbed Shuichi's hands to pull him along.

Kokichi Saihara? He quite liked the sound of that - it had a pleasant ring to it and rolled nicely off the tongue. Shuichi Oma didn't sound too bad either. But what mattered most in that moment was the accessory he has discarded two years prior - it was still extremely valuable to him even though it only resided on his desk. "Uh, can you please take my hat off? I don't want it to get damaged. Haha, I haven't worn that in years..."

"Better for someone to make use of it than leave it to collect dust!" He looked up at the detective, still pulling him along by the hands, but his fingers almost slipped when he caught Shuichi's authoritative leer. He pouted. "Can I at least wear it until we get back home?"

Shuichi rolled his eyes. "Sure, why not? Whatever keeps you happy." He pulled one hand away so they could hold hands normally - Kokichi was surely going to bump into something if he continued walking backwards. "Hey Kokichi. We're you following me?"

"A great magician never reveals their secrets!" he sang. "Sorry, too soon?"

He frowned, but quickly recovered. "A bit. Did you hear any of our conversation?"

"Nope! I was watching through the window though! Who was that man? He looked super cool!" Shuichi went to answer before he was cut off by a wave of enthusiasm. "OH! That's the Rantaro Amami guy right?" He suddenly stood very still, reaching up with both hands to grab onto Shuichi's jacket and pull him down. "You _can't_ let him die. No way!" 

"I'll try my best, haha." he chuckled, leaning his head back an inch. 

Kokichi relaxed his grip and returned to holding hands again. His face lit up with a smile. "I cooked for you again by the way."

"Do you mean baked?"

Kokichi shook his head. "Nope! I cooked bread!"

Shuichi looked baffled. "Toast?"

"No. In a pan with eggs."

He raised a brow. "French toast?"

"It's not toast!" exclaimed Kokichi.

Shuichi almost laughed. "That's...what it's called."

Kokichi's eyes slowly widened as he mouthed the word 'OK'. "Well, French toast it is! I got the recipe online."

"And you didn't think to look for the name? How could you even find the recipe without searching the name up?" asked Shuichi, who at this point was growing very confused. Kokichi often did that to him, filling his brain up with words upon words, chaos upon more chaos.

Kokichi snorted. "Check? Nah, that's boring. I just looked for simple recipes so I wouldn't burn the apartment complex down. See, _responsible_." He emphasised his point with a brief jazz hand. "Oh yeah! Y'know, I also learned how to make acid really easy! All you need is--"

Shuichi clapped a hand to his mouth to silence him. "I don't think saying that is a very good idea. You don't know who's listening, or watching, or _reading_ into what you're saying. Let's just go home, get some lunch and relax. I need to get through to my uncle, too. Afterwards I'm heading back out to go to Kaede's; you can come as long as you don't interrupt. I have another piano lesson at three."

"I wanna come!" Kokichi said, wriggling free from Shuichi's loose grip. "I wanna hear how much you've improved since the last time I heard you play. You're getting pretty good, if I do say so myself."

They walked the rest of the way home in silence, a good silence. One where the trees waved them a friendly hello and the birds sang them ballads as they passed underneath the sheltering branches. One where the air was warm and fresh like a new pair of socks, and the people passing by seemed as if they weren't even there: they didn't need anybody else in this massively beautiful world as long as they had each other.

Kokichi's hands were always so soft, and today was no exception. He was happy to be with him. It brought upon him a peace no other living thing could bring him. 

What didn't comfort him, however, was the fact he would have to eventually face up to his uncle about the trip he'd be going on. Telling his uncle about leaving the country was a big thing - and that was no exaggeration. 

At least he'd have Kokichi with him wherever he would go. 

-

The sky was blue, expected in summer, bright and big and beautiful. But it couldn't be seen from under the surface where the blackness of oblivion bubbled and frothed and the dark roots of fury fastened against the ground, digging in its vicious claws.

A woman sat alone in a spacious room, in almost complete darkness. The only sources of light were two flaming torches either side of the brambly throne she perched most comfortably upon. She beckoned for someone to enter.

A subordinate. They advanced towards her confidently, not an ounce of fear underscored in their still eyes. They said nothing, they didn't even move, nor breathe or speak or blink.

Finally, the higher up woman spoke. Her voice was laced with poison. "Did you do it?"

The subordinate nodded. "Yes. The mission was a success."

She grinned, a manic smile stretching from ear to ear. "You got the detective?" Something glinting was spinning around her finger, but the subordinate could not make out what through the dim light. "That was a lot easier than expected! What about the other one?"

Their face faltered, though no expression had unearthed itself previously. "Other one? The other detective?"

"You're fuckin' USELESS if you haven't got the pair of them under control!" she screamed. " _Tell me_ you got 'em!"

A breath and a swallow. "Even if it's only one, they'll all be dead soon."

This made the subordinate's boss regain her composure once more, and her teeth came out to play again. She sat up more surely and licked her lips. "That's right...I want that bastard _dead_."

-

Shuichi's fingers were well trained by now thanks to Kaede's guidance, and he could successfully play a variety of pieces ranging from Debussy (Kaede's personal favourite) to Mozart and Beethoven. She had grown very impressed with him over time, so this lesson she wanted to challenge him a little more, after all, she had faith in him that by the end of their session he would've mastered the classical trills and turns.

They were practising Haydn's Piano Sonata no. 44; one Shuichi found particularly tricky. He wasn't used to playing so fast, but when he watched Kaede play and took note of her composure, her posture and the way she played so relaxed and smoothly, he knew he'd be able to do it too. All in due time.

So far he could only reach about fifteen seconds into the first movement, but he'd only been playing for half an hour so he was making swift progress - Kaede praised him for being such a fast learner. Kokichi, on the other hand, did not get the idea. Every time he slipped up, he'd make some sort of snarky remark purely for the fun on it. Sometimes he'd make a loud noise or shout or squeal just to purposely distract Shuichi. Kaede frequently scolded him, though Shuichi had reassured her that he was acting out for attention and enjoyed being yelled at. After all, Kokichi was a pest. That was known to all who had both the misfortune and luck to lay eyes on him.

Shuichi started to play again, slowly with his right hand. He wanted to perfect all he could before the big slip up arrived. Kokichi, for the time being, had shut up and decided to leave the cosiness of the sofa to stand beside Shuichi, like Kaede who was on his other side.

Kaede smiled. "That's nice Shuichi, but it'd be better with the other hand."

Reluctantly, Shuichi brought his left hand onto the keys and continued to play slowly. He was shocked when he could play through the part he kept messing up on and, getting a little too cocky, sped it up. Then out of nowhere Kokichi pressed down harshly on the lower keys with his whole hand, sending a deep racket through the air.

"Kokichi!" Shuichi yelped. "What's the big idea?"

Kaede placed a hand on his arm reassuringly and closed the cover on the keys. "Actually, Shuichi, I think he had the right idea. You're getting too carried away. Take your time."

"Ah, sorry." he frowned. "Are we done for today?"

"I think so." she said. "Shuichi, Kokichi, you want tea?"

Kokichi, who had already retreated back to the couch, cried, "I want Panta!"

"Panta was not being offered!" Kaede called as she exited the room.

"Fine! I don't want anything anyway!"

"Fine with me! Shuichi, you want some?"

"Please." When she had gone he joined Kokichi on the couch and pulled him close. "You all right?"

He rolled his eyes, the same way he rolled across Shuichi's lap to face him. "Why wouldn't I be? I'm just a little _bored_."

"Try not to say that too loudly, she might hear you. Besides, you're the one who agreed to come today." Shuichi reminded him. He supposed he did expect his high maintenance boyfriend to require...well, a high amount of maintenance. "After I drink my tea we can leave."

Kaede soon returned with two mugs in tow, much like she always did. Like usual, she placed one on top of the piano (Shuichi's) and kept the other in her hand (which had already been sipped from countless times before it entered the room). "Come and get it!"

They drank and talked, the three of them getting along like a house on fire. Despite Kokichi's teasing, he got on rather well with Kaede - much better than how he got on with Kaito and Maki. Kaede seemed to be happy when Kokichi was around. Shuichi was glad she approved of him, even if unsure at first. The whole café experience had done a number on their first impressions of him.

"Did you find out what the case is?" a curious Kaede asked.

Shuichi nodded. "Yeah, it's a murder case." He couldn't give her as much detail as he had entrusted Kokichi with, however. Of course he trusted her with everything, but he never wanted to risk hurting her again, so he kept everything on the downlow. That, and the fact all information was to be strictly classified.

"Who was murdered?" she gasped.

"Himiko Yumeno! She came to our house once!" Kokichi interrupted, adding on with, "Maybe we cursed her!"

"I'm still alive so I doubt I'm cursed," Kaede stated. "But gee, that sucks."

"Being dead must suck. You can't drink Panta. But it must also be awesome! Do you have any idea how many pranks I could pull as a poltergeist? Do you?" Kokichi was on the edge of his seat, eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Maybe let's not think about that," suggested Shuichi. He turned back to Kaede. "Off topic, but do you know anything about Loradsey Island?"

She raised a brow. "Loradsey Island? Yeah, I've heard of it. Why?"

He smiled sheepishly. "Ah, no reason. I'm just curious."

"Well, I've heard a couple of stories about the island, but nothing more," Kaede began, "I don't know anything about it, or where it is or why it's so famed yet so unspoken about at the same time."

"Stories?" Kokichi mumbled. "Sounds lame."

"Ah, but you see, they're not," Kaede winked. "These are pretty interesting stories if you like a good dark tale. And you never know, the legend may be true."

Kokichi perked up. "Legend? Dark tale? Go on..."

She set aside her tea and looked them dead in the eyes. "There are many ways the legend goes, but this one is my favourite. It started with a tribe. They lived in the Loradsey jungle together, though split by gender, in harmony with one leader; his name was Sewati. It should be noted that Sewati was always considerably sweeter to the women, this was something the men weren't too favourable of. This tribe, the Myazou, possessed the ability to communicate with the dead and each man and woman were taught various hexes and forms of black magic to protect the island from attackers or greedy intruders. It was a gift given to them and them alone from their Goddess, Xaxis, the God of Peace. One day, a devastating war broke out between the men and women of the tribe, the result of a rumoured hex placed on the great leader Sewati. The tribe began to use their magick against each other, men, women and children engaging in a bloody massacre with a powerful hatred. Xaxis was enraged, and so, collecting all the power back from the island, a great curse was placed upon the land and a giant volcano was raised from the ground to destroy it all, though it has laid dormant to this very day. Those who survived the massacre were too shocked at what they had done to live on. Guilt consumed them. They tossed the corpses of their friends, family and loved ones into the volcano, before sacrificing themselves for the greater good of the island. They say that the spirits of the deceased live on; noises and screaming can be heard from deep within the palm jungle at night. What happened to Sewati? After the fighting ended, no one could find his body - it is suspected he fled the scene. His sudden disappearance has raised all sorts of questions. Was he really hexed? Did he want to kill his tribe? Did someone make him do it? Either way, the island's resort is rumoured to be haunted and often they have seen the long-dead ghost of that very tribe leader roaming the halls, seeking revenge."

Shuichi could barely register his expression, head taking in all the details of the story. He barely realised his mouth hung open like catching flies and his eyes as big as saucers. Kokichi, on the contrary, looked equally bored and very amused.

"Yeah, right. Likely story," he wheezed.

"It's just a legend," Kaede reminded him, "but it'd be awesome if it were true. I mean, I believe it is."

Shuichi nodded. "I think so too. I mean, the whole volcano and magick thing seems a little far-fetched to me but the battle sounds real enough. It's interesting."

"Yep! I wish I could go one day..." she said, picking her mug back up. 

Shuichi thought about the legend, but there was something he was particularly curious about. "Kaede, you said something about a curse. Do you know anything about it?" 

"As a matter of fact I do. It's super interesting, you should read up on it." she beamed. "The great Goddess Xaxis was furious with the betrayal of the leader and the fighting so she took back all the power she had so graciously lent them and instead transformed all of that power into a horrifying curse. The curse of which, threatens the lives of all those who step onto the land. It isn't actually known what this certain curse does, but it's not an uncommon occurrence for unusual tragedies to befall one after a visit to the island, or even during their stay. Some claim to have heard voices or seen shadows in the darkness."

Kokichi yawned loudly, stretching his limbs as far as he could."Yeah, yeah. Sounds like the curse is a whole load of baloney. Who'd make up a curse if they didn't even know what the curse did. That's some underdeveloped story!" 

"Maybe so, but what if those who experienced the full wrath of the curse never lived to tell the tale?" Kaede suggested, a knowing lilt to her tone. It was somehow disturbing and a little bit creepy, for Kaede anyway. 

Shuichi shuddered. "I think that's enough curse talk for this afternoon then. Thanks a bunch, K." Thanks to Kokichi, Shuichi had picked up the habit of calling his friends by nicknames: Kokichi was Ko or Kichi, Kaede was K, Maki was well...Maki (for his own safety - she just about tolerated Kaito calling her Maki Roll) and Kaito? He thought it was best to avoid nicknames while free speech was still a prominent human right and his boyfriend roamed free with that specific right. He checked the time on his watch. "Ah, I think it's best we head off now. Thanks for having us over."

Kaede shrugged with a cute smile. "My pleasure! I love having you guys over." After she had escorted them to the door she beamed, "Good luck on your case, by the way," and closed the door.

Shuichi still needed to speak to his uncle, but he supposed it could wait until morning. He hoped Kokichi would cook for him again.

After he told his uncle about his trip, he would be sure to tell Kokichi too. It wasn't like he was keeping a secret from him - he just hadn't said anything, and he hoped Kokichi didn't question him about his interest in Loradsey Island later on that night.

But nothing got past Kokichi anymore. He'd catch on sooner or later.

And he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating in ages, oh my god. I completely forgot. Posting 4 chapters today to make up for it!!


	6. Reunion

Shuichi was in his bed, slouched beneath the covers. Kokichi was _somewhere_ , maybe watching TV, or writing in his prank book or _something_ , he never could be sure. He was quiet.

Although he had decided to call back in the morning, Shuichi thought he'd give it another shot and so he dialed his uncle's number and hoped for the best. It was time to break the news.

And as if his uncle knew what he was thinking, he picked up.  
"Hello." he said.  
Shuichi smiled bitterly, trying to steady his nerves. "Hey? It's Shuichi, you weren't at the office today."  
"I know, I was away on business unfortunately. Ruined my Tuesday..."  
"Clients?"   
The old man groaned. "Worse; your parents. Sat and bombarded me with questions left and right, they did. _How is Shuichi? Does he have a job? Where does he work? How much is he earning? Does he have a girlfriend yet?_ All that blabber. They want to see you."  
Shuichi heart almost stopped. "Why?"   
"Beats me, boy. They're _your_ parents."  
"Yeah, but still!"   
"I know you don't like 'em but there's no point in arguing - if they want something they'll get it."  
"Well they never wanted _me_." mumbled Shuichi under his breath. If his uncle heard it he'd probably hang up - he was still related to his father, after all.   
Luckily enough for Shuichi, his uncle didn't catch a word of his protest. "So to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"   
"It's about a case I'm working on with Kyoko," he began.   
"Go on."  
"We have a lead, a potentially big one at the moment, so we have to investigate it."  
"Yes, naturally that's how a crime is solved," his uncle said. "Is there something you need from me?"   
"Kind of..." Shuichi took a breath. Here it came. "I'm going to be out of the country for a couple of weeks - we're going to an island." Though he was wise enough not to specify _which_ island.  
"Hold on a minute! Going abroad? Just what sort of mission are you on?" he snapped. His voice was elevated like subdued thunder. That was what Shuichi was afraid of.   
Of course he wouldn't give exact details; his own agency wasn't involved so there was no reason to go sharing classified information. "We're investigating an attempted murder we witnessed, to say the least. The victim happened to recognise his attacker so we need to search for them."  
There was silence for a minute.   
Shuichi was concerned. "Hello?"   
"No."  
"What?"   
"I said no. You're not going on an investigation like that. Especially not on a case issued by 6-7, that witch of a woman. Not a chance."  
"Why not? I'll be with Kyoko." _And it's none of your business either!_  
"It's too dangerous Shuichi. Missions here in this country are a completely different thing. I have already made it clear that you're not going."

Dangerous? Shuichi almost scoffed at his underestimation. He had quite literally saved the world from ending and prevented the entire human population from becoming slaves to an unstable hostage. He and Kokichi had risked their lives in the process. However, no one knew about their heroics; if anyone found out they'd be in a lot more trouble than they'd bargained for. It frustrated him sometimes that no one would ever credit him for his outstanding detective work in solving two unsolvable crimes, but he supposed that was what it meant to be a hero.

"But it's important!" He was running thin on arguments.   
"Kyoko can handle it. A great detective like you is needed here. It is absolutely essential you stay on dry land."  
Shuichi didn't respond. In fact, he wasn't even given the opportunity to.   
"Do you understand me? If you dare go against my wishes I'll have no choice but to suspend you from field work until for foreseeable future. Am I clear?"   
_No._ "Yes."  
"Good." His voice grew softer, less authoritative. "When does your boat leave for the island?"   
"Tomorrow morning." Shuichi lied.   
"Very well. I'll arrange for your parents to drop by your apartment in the morning. Be on your best behaviour and don't let me down."

Without another syllable, he hung up. 

Shuichi could only stare at the window at the end of his bed as he sunk lower into the sheets. He was a dead man. A dead man who was bound to lose his job. He pulled the blanket over his head as if it would protect him from the shame. What was he meant to do? He couldn't give up the case. And what was that about 6-7? Did his uncle and Kyoko's boss have some friction in their history? Perhaps there was more to this situation than meets the eye.

The door opened and Shuichi lifted the blanket to see who'd entered. Of course, the only other person in the apartment was Kokichi so the action was unnecessary, but he liked to see his face. 

Kokichi came sauntering in, a spring in his step but came to an abrupt stop when he registered the look on his boyfriend's face. "What's up with that expression? Your pet goldfish get run over?"

Shuichi explained that his parents would be making an appearance in the morning and watched how Kokichi's face twisted into that of disgust. He didn't like Shuichi's parents after all he'd heard about them. 

He recoiled in horror. "Yeesh! I am _truly_ sorry to hear that. You wanna hide out at one of your friends' places for the night? Or we can share my bunkbed at HQ (but be warned, the bottom bunk is already in use by a loud snorer)."

"No, it's okay. I'm actually curious about what they have to say," admitted Shuichi. 

"Well, if you insist..."

That reminded him, "On the topic of HQ, do you mind sneaking over there before my parents arrive? I don't think they'll approve of me having a boyfriend."

"Yeah, no biggie," he said, flicking his hand as if it didn't bother him at all. "But you're not kicking me out right now, right?" 

"Of course not!" Shuichi shifted over. "Come on in, I could use a hug."

Kokichi climbed in beside him, taking his usual place sandwiched in between Shuichi and the wall. There was something comforting about Kokichi being there. He could feel all his troubles melting away. It was peaceful. So peaceful...he could barely...keep his eyes...open...

"So, Shuichi," Kokichi mumbled against his shoulder, "about your newfound Loradsey Island obsession."

Kokichi was nearly startled by the almost silent snoring coming from above his ear. Shuichi was already fast asleep so he dropped the topic and decided to settle down for the night too. 

-

The next morning was one the detective dreaded. Shuichi hadn't seen his parents in years and he had woken up to the sound of his alarm especially early - he needed to clean his apartment so it was impossible to know that he wasn't the only inhabitant of the small place. He couldn't let his parents find out about Kokichi, not when they used to blather on and on about him getting a girlfriend and giving them grandchildren. That was already two wishes he was never going to grant, and another earful of how disappointing he would always be.

It was 5am, but he dragged himself from the lonely bed. Kokichi was long gone, and it was only him alone. He looked around wearily but Kokichi seemed to have done his part; his room was surprisingly clean for someone who lived with an overgrown toddler. Shuichi made a mental note to thank him later.

That being said, he immediately got to work. He spent the next hour picking up clothes, folding them and hiding them away in his wardrobe, making sure to put anything of Kokichi's at the back and his own stuff in the front to block it. He washed dishes, organised his cupboards and pulled out the vacuum just to make himself extra sure that his parents wouldn't have much, if anything, to complain about. They were very strict people.

By 6:30 Shuichi was exhausted, so he decided to shower. He supposed the only thing left to deal with was his own physical appearance - if there was one thing the Saiharas were prickly about, it was looks. 

By 7 he was dressed and dried, debating whether he should prepare something for breakfast. Maybe some tea or coffee too. But what did they drink? How did they like it? He didn't know them well enough - or at all - to provide for them. He supposed the clean, presentable apartment would do. 

Barely minutes later there was a knock at the door and Shuichi hurried to open it. As far as he was concerned, the quicker they came in, the quicker they would leave. He had a lot to do, things to pack, places to be. He refused to waste the day talking to his parents, the most hypocritical people in the world.

Shuichi opened the door, and there they stood. _Here we go_ , he thought. 

For their mid-fourties, they both appeared youthful and elegant as ever. Both dressed in formal attire from head to toe, looking the image of cinematic. They were an attractive couple, undeniably so, and it was clear where Shuichi got his looks.

They both looked stern, offering him their familiar deadpan glares. Shuichi gulped, he couldn't speak. He was far too nervous. But he didn't need to. 

His mother's expression melted into a kind smile and she pushed eagerly past her husband to embrace Shuichi in a tight, loving swaddle. "Oh, Shuichi! My precious boy," she cooed ever so sweetly, like how a real mother may comfort her baby, "I am so happy to see you!" Her long black hair snaked around Shuichi's neck, coiling, like a death threat. 

Shuichi slowly reached up to return the gesture sheepishly. His limbs felt stiff and he was unsure of what was happening or if these home invaders really were his parents. "Thanks?"

The door was closed. Then his father approached him and patted him roughly on the shoulder, though it was merely playful. "Good to see you, it's been, say, ten years at least! You look like you're in fine shape there."

His mother let him go and pinched his cheeks with a pretty, shrill laugh. "Isn't he? What a darling." She released him from her grasp and batted her long eyelashes. Shuichi could see his reflection in her glimmering golden eyes. "Come, come, invite us in honey - there's so much to discuss."

And with that, Shuichi led them over to the sofa where they made themselves at home. He didn't join them however; instead he dragged a chair from the dining table to sit a good distance (a perfect mix of near and far) away from them. There was something about their interaction which told him to stay alert. It may have been over a decade, but it was unusual.

The actress clasped her hands together, a sparkling gleam in her eye. "So...how've you been?"

"I've been good." said Shuichi.

This made her smile. "Met any nice girls?"

Shuichi frowned. He suddenly really would've appreciated Kokichi's company. He could hear his mischievous voice in his head like the devil on his shoulder but answered as coolly as possible. "Ah, I mean I've met quite a few girls in my time. Nice ones though? Well, I can definitely cross off 6-7."

His mother, for one, had no idea what that meant but was thrilled nonetheless. His father appeared to want to ask what 6-7 was, but also seemed to be anticipating his wife's next inevitable question.

"Is there a chance of a little miss Saihara-in-Law coming home?" she beamed. Her cheeks were rosy and her long eyelashes accentuated the curiosity in her glistening eyes. It was no wonder why she had earned the title 'The Golden Goddess'. The film industry adored her, especially for her looks. 

But Shuichi hated questions like these - his mother had always wanted a daughter, while his dad wanted a son. Having gotten what he wanted (a successor to the family name) he refused to try for another child. They were far too busy individuals for parenting. It was lucky enough that Shuichi's father had a brother he could pawn his child off on. Shuichi loved his uncle but he still would never entirely forgive his parents for that.

Nevertheless, he kept his cool. "Haha, not for a long while."

He would've admitted to having a boyfriend, but only God knew what sort of reaction he may receive. If he was disowned before, who knows what they'd do now? His parents always used to make it clear that they were content with homosexuality, but bisexuals (like Shuichi) were something else entirely. They'd called them things Shuichi would rather not reiterate or think about again. 

Thinking about their biphobia brought him right back to when he was a child. When he was nine he overheard an uncomfortable conversation between his parents - they were planning to start travelling abroad for work and so needed somewhere suitable for their son to live. It was his father who suggested his mother's sister. His mother refused sternly and argued that she wouldn't allow someone so 'confused' (to summarise) to influence her child. 

They settled upon Shuichi's uncle although they disagreed with his career path; they believed detectives belonged solely behind a screen of a movie or trapped within the pages of a book. But it was the best option they had, so they cast away their son and went off merrily on their way.

Shuichi had barely seen them again until now, and he was easily able to recall the bitter look of humble disappointment registering on her face. 

She was still smiling as sweetly as ever - a true actress - but now the smile didn't reach her eyes. They were the colour of the sun, but, ironically, were freezing cold. "Aw, that's too bad. You'll find a beautiful girl soon, honey. What about that lovely girl Kaede Akamatsu?" 

"We're not planning on becoming a thing," Shuichi stated. The prospect almost made him gag. It wasn't because Kaede wasn't his type, because she was, he just couldn't imagine himself with her and besides, he was already with someone. The idea of being with anyone but Kokichi made him feel sick. "Ever."

He and Kaede, however hazy their past may have been (considering it was fact they used to have feelings for one another) were always going to remain friends, no questions asked. He had to protect her; after she fell into the corrupt clutches of ex-criminal organisation DICE, he knew he couldn't let her feelings be messed with again. It was both a long and complicated story, one that Shuichi would rather avoid explaining. What mattered most was she was safe and managed to recover.

The screenwriter could see his wife refraining herself from unleashing her frustrations so he decided to take over. He was sure his son would be successful, he helped raise him after all. "How has work been? I hear you're quite the diligent detective."

"I'm average," Shuichi asserted. His father's expression hardened. Of course the boy had to be average. Just average. "Kyoko's the one who's worthy of being called diligent."

The actress' face lit up with glee. Her son knew the famed Kyoko Kirigiri? She had hit the daughter-in-law jackpot!

Just before she chipped in again, her husband stole Shuichi's attention - he was bored of the topic now. "Working on any cases with her at the moment?"

"Yes, well I was until my uncle intervened..." Shuichi let his words trail off, maybe to properly capture their attention, maybe to generate some sympathy. 

He looked perplexed. "Now why would he do that?" Perplexed, though apparently unfazed. He slicked his gelled hair back the way Dracula might and grinned. 

"He said solving murders overseas is too dangerous." informed the detective. "I was supposed to be leaving today." he lied.

Mrs Saihara gave her husband's leg a smack of disapproval. "I told you that old fart was too nurturing!" She turned back to her son. "Well, sweetie, we should be leaving for the airport soon so you'll be able to go off with that lovely Kyoko girl."

_And there she goes again_ , Shuichi refrained from rolling his eyes and smiled.

"Where are you heading, hun?" she continued.

Potential locations whizzed through his head as he tried to grasp one of them, through he blurted out the first that came to mind. "Dubai."

"Would you look at that?" his father smiled. "Same as us!"

"Wait, no, I meant Dublin." he fake corrected, starting to sweat. Shuichi wasn't sure if he even knew where Dublin _was_. He promised himself to leave the lies to Kokichi in the future. 

"Aw, that's a real shame Shu," his mother frowned. "We really wish we'd spent more time with you in the past. We're sorry that we're extremely successful in our professions which meant we could never spend much time with you, but we're going to try to find opportunities to squeeze some time with you into our schedule."

Shuichi was amazed. She actually cared about him? He wasn't just a trophy child of the amazing, talented and successful, Saiharas? "R-Really? You mean that?" 

Mr Saihara jerked Shuichi's shoulder with friendly intent. "Course we do! You're our son and we want the best for you!"

Shuichi wasn't sure if he was imagining the scenario, if he was supposed to be wary of some underlying malicious or if he was meant to be happy. He had this awkward yet relieved smile on his face, but his eyes could only reflect empty unsure emotion. If all the bitter resentment he'd retained for so many years had all been a result of a misunderstanding - a lack of communication, then he didn't know what he was supposed to believe anymore.

He smiled, properly, and nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I'd like to get to know you both, make up for all those lost years. That'd be nice."

All of a sudden everything felt warm, peaceful. Shuichi was at ease. After so long, everything had finally fallen into place. He had amazing friends, the best boyfriend he could have ever asked for, a thriving detective career, the opportunity to take the case of a lifetime, and now his parents were finally in the picture. Of course so many years of damage could not be undone by such a simple notion, but for Shuichi, it marked something. A change. It ignited a fire of hope inside of him. And something told him that everything was looking up. 

"Shuichi."

Nothing could possibly go wrong, not ever.

"Shuichi!"

He blinked. "Huh?" His phone was buzzing in his pocket. He had been too lost in thought to realise. _This is not a convenient time for a call, damn it!_

"Go on, answer it." his father pushed.

"U-Uh, OK." Shuichi pulled an anxious smile and fumbled for his pockets. His hands were sweating as the buzzing of the phone persisted, begging to be picked up. He reluctantly answered the call and brought it to his ear a little too quickly. It slipped from his hands, tumbled down in the hands of gravity and he caught it before it hit the floor, only his fatal error was accidentally hitting the speaker button during the rescue. 

A voice booming with sing-song glee echoed from the phone. There was no way of stopping it. "Hey babe! How's the meeting going with the old hags you have for bosses?"

Shuichi's jaw dropped and the words bouncing off the sides of his skull couldn't find their way out of his mouth. He couldn't bring himself to raise his wide eyes from the floor. "Ko...kichi?"

"That's my name!" A quick pause. "Wait. What's wrong? Do you miss me? No need to worry, I'll be home to smother you in lots of kissy wissies later!"

If any word could be used to describe exactly how he felt right now, embarassed or humiliated wouldn't even come close to replicating the dread and shame throbbing in his chest. Shuichi's head felt like it was about to burst, much like his mother whose contorted face was bordering the redness of raw meat. Dead, raw meat, like Shuichi was bound to be.

Her glare bore into his soul and it stung. "Shuichi! Who is that? Are you gay?"

"U-Um..." Well, the jig was up.

Or so he thought. "Oh?" the voice from the phone came again. "This is Shuichi? Whoops! My bad, really, my bad. I must've called you by mistake - I was meant to be calling my _girlfriend_ as we know I am very heterosexual and would never suffocate a _man_ with my love. Duh! Alrighty then! See ya round, Shu!" He promptly hung up. 

Shuichi was speechless.

"B-Bye?" he replied to no one. He had never been as thankful for Kokichi's sharp thinking as he was in that moment, though part of him suspected Kokichi had called just to spice things up. Maybe Kokichi actually wanted to meet his parents after all.

Mrs Saihara seemed to have calmed down significantly, her paleness returning to her fair complexion. She sighed in great relief, hand wiping at her brow. "I'm glad that was just a misunderstanding. I just want my precious son to grow up properly." she hummed. Her voice was soft and blooming with gratitude in such a way that it stabbed through Shuichi's heart. It bled guilt. "We love you, sweetie."

"I know." he said.

"We best be off now! We want to be at the airport as quickly as we can, isn't that right honey?" Mr Saihara interjected, then he ruffled Shuichi's hair.

"That's right snookums!" She turned to her son and held her arms out wide. "C'mere, dear. Give mommy a hug before she goes."

The thought of addressing his mother as 'mommy' above the age of ten sincerely did not appeal to Shuichi in the slightest, but he obliged nonetheless. He hugged them both goodbye and received a kiss on his cheek by his mother before showing them out.

He sighed heavily and took a moment to appreciate the recovered emptiness of his small apartment. Then he beamed to himself, _time to make some well deserved coffee_.

On the way to the kitchen he pulled out his phone again and opened Powwow. He had both a bone to pick with his boyfriend - though he wasn't by any means mad - and something important to tell him.

_Dumbtective♡_ : You.

_TheKingOfDarkness69_ : Me? Would can little ol' me do for ya??

_Dumbtective♡_ : You almost got me in big trouble with my parents, you know? Please be more cautious next time.

_TheKingOfDarkness69_ : Okok I get it, I'm sorry  
 _TheKingOfDarkness69_ : I'll be more careful in the future  
 _TheKingOfDarkness69_ : There. Happy?

_Dumbtective♡_ : Very. :) Also, I need to talk to you. It'll be easier to explain in person.

_TheKingOfDarkness69_ : Come down to HQ then, we've been making pancakes!! With just bananas and eggs!!! And sugar!!!

_Dumbtective♡_ : That's interesting. I'm on my way. Save me some. 

It was still morning and the day had been a bumpy turbulent so far, but that didn't mean things couldn't improve. Besides, he needed to tell Kokichi about their great getaway to Loradsey Island - a secret escape no one outside of the investigator trio (if Kokichi were to be included) should be alerted of.

He had faith that Kokichi could keep his mouth shut. Or so he hoped.


	7. A Congregation Of Colleagues

Shuichi pulled the manhole cover over his head and made the descent down to DICE headquarters, just like the first time he had infiltrated the base. He was always cautious climbing the ladder, it was a long way to fall if he lost his grip but he'd had a lot of practise. Soon enough, his feet were back on solid metallic ground.

Headquarters looked significantly more homely and inviting since then, too. While there were still some metal panels bolted into the walls and floors in the corridors, the rooms had been renovated the best they could be. With extra funds running low and very few of the inhabitants with paying jobs, not too much could be done. 

The floors of the main rooms were laminated and the walls were painted brighter colours - Smile's idea. He claimed it was hard to be miserable in a brighter atmosphere and apparently his claims rang true.

The detective navigated through the silent halls, following the familiar route to the dining room. Kokichi was sure to be in there, his text said it all. Besides, he'd taken up quite the interest in baking recently. It begged the question: was Kokichi planning something? Whatever it was, Shuichi was sure it'd be a real treat. His baking was improving by the day!

He pushed open the door and peered inside. Kokichi was leaning on the great table in the centre of the room, a bottle of syrup in one hand, a can of whipped cream in the other. His hair was tied back strategically, just like when he took on the identity of the Phantom Thief. Smeared on his cheek was what appeared to be chocolate sauce but Kokichi either didn't notice it or didn't care. Knowing Kokichi it was likely both; the mess made him look like he'd been busy and he was a man of appearances. He was focused on decorating the numerous plates of pancakes on the table, one eye shut and his tongue poking out the side of his mouth in concentration as he poured just the right amount on each.

Beside him was Boomer, crouching down to meet Kokichi at eye level, a look of satisfaction on his face. He was as comically round and bald as ever. When he noticed the door open he offered Shuichi a brief smile and wave, then went back to observing the pancake decorating.

"That's enough," he said, standing up with a breath of relief as if he had been participating in hard labour. "Looks like you've got a visitor, Boss."

"Hm?" Kokichi looked up, cast curious eyes at Boomer and then towards the door. "Oh yeah! Hi Shuichi!" He squirted some cream onto his finger, licked it off, wiped it on his light blue apron, squirted some more onto the same finger, then made his way to join Shuichi in the hall. "Gimme a minute. I'll be back!"

Boomer replied with a nod of approval as the door was shut behind the ex-organisation leader.

Kokichi beamed. "Sup, Shu?"

"Hey Kich." He attempted to focus on the situation at hand but the smear on his boyfriend's cheek was distracting. "You know you have a little something on your cheek, right?"

"Um...yeah!" Kokichi used his creamless hand to wipe at his cheeks. It only spread it further and Shuichi couldn't help but frown. "Is it gone?"

"Not even close," he laughed. Shuichi picked up the bottom of Kokichi's apron and wiped away the chocolate. "There you go. And what's up with the whipped cream?"

Kokichi thrust his finger in Shuichi's face. "It's for you! Lick it!"

He shook his head. "I'm good thanks. Besides, you just put it in your mouth yourself."

"But it's nice... Maybe you'd like it better," He wiped it on his lips and rubbed them together like lipstick, "if you licked it off my lips. Don't be shy. I did tell you I'd be smothering you in lots of _kisses_."

Shuichi held in a laugh and tried his best to keep a straight face. It was a pity that he had to decline such a generous offer. "That can wait until later, Kokichi. I need to talk to you about something pretty important. It's about work - that case I'm working on with Kyoko." 

Kokichi gasped. "So you're actually gonna tell me about the case after all? Yes! Spill the good stuff!" 

"All right," Shuichi continued, "so, the bad guys we're after are apparently overseas. Rantaro, Kyoko and I are going to Loradsey Island to investigate. I want you to come along too."

His eyes lit up like filled with thousands of twinkling stars. "You mean you're _really_ taking me on holiday to a super cool island abroad? That's awesome!"

"It's not a holiday, Kokichi. It's for the investigation, remember?" Shuichi asserted. "And yes, you're coming with me. You can help me investigate. But only under one condition."

"Yeah?" beamed Kokichi in anticipation. 

"You have to promise keep it a secret OK? No telling anyone about it. I don't want Kyoko thinking I've invited a bunch of people along. Keep your mouth shut, it's a secret mission. Got it?"

Kokichi nodded. "Yeah! I won't tell a soul!"

Shuichi sighed in relief. "Thanks... I'm glad you're cooperating. Remember, don't tell anyone."

"Don't tell anyone what?" another voice said. Shuichi's stomach dropped.

The duo spun to see Shade, whose approach had been silent.

Kokichi smiled and his lips curled up to his ears. "Shuichi's taking me to Loradsey Island! He's got an awesome case! We're hunting down a killer!"

Shuichi turned to his boyfriend with a look of disbelief. "Kokichi!"

"A killer, you say? That does sound thrilling." Shade tilted his head. "I think I could be of assistance to you. If you wouldn't mind, of course."

"What...do you mean?" Shuichi asked with a cautious lilt to his tone. He had never truly warmed up to Shade despite him changing drastically. Something about him still filled his senses with an air of unease.

He turned on his heels and began to walk away. "Follow me to the lab." He paused. "Oh, I just mean Shuichi, by the way. You get back in the kitchen, pancake boy."

"Hey! Watch who you're calling pancake boy, stupid head!" yelled Kokichi with a stomp of his foot. He slipped back into the room and slammed the door behind him. 

"Well, detective, are you coming?"

Shuichi nodded. "Yeah. Let's go."

They walked together in silence. It barely took a minute to navigate through the halls to locate the laboratory but to Shuichi, beside the tall, silent man it felt like much longer. A wave of relief washed over him as Shade pressed his thumb on the reader and the door clattered open.

Gadget, DICE's gifted inventor, was first to greet the other party, hopping down off his step ladder where he was working on fixing the new strip lights to the ceiling. "Yo! Haven't seen you in a while Shuichi! How can I help ya?"

He shuffled anxiously. "Uh, actually Shade said he could help me out with an investigation I'm working on."

The two ex-organisation members shared a private look and Gadget quickly gasped in understanding. "OH! You want me to show him what we've been working on recently, right? You got it! Wait there." He opened the door to the store room and disappeared for a minute, then returned carrying a cardboard box so big that he could barely see where he was going.

Shuichi stumbled over to help and guided him to his work bench. "Woah! What's _in_ there? That box is pretty heavy..."

"It's something I've been working on for a while now. You'll see. It's pretty revolutionary, actually." he smirked. He opened the top and pulled out a small plastic package and placed it delicately on the desk, followed by another. "Well? Don't just stand there looking pretty, detective. Aren't you even slightly curious?"

Shuichi shrugged. "I mean, I can't say you haven't piqued my interest." He reached out for one of the packages. "Can I?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll explain what they do afterwards." sang Gadget, heaving the box onto the floor (which now he realised he should've done in the beginning). "Be gentle."

The first thing Shuichi pulled from the tightly wrapped bag was a hat similar to the one he used to wear, though plain black. He put it on his head carefully as if he suspected it might explode. 

"Nothing is going to hurt me from wearing this, right?" Shuichi asked, caution thick in his voice.

Gadget snorted so hard he almost forgot how to breathe. "I'm an inventor, not a murderer! I mean, the past is in the past. This is a whole new book, a new chapter in my life! Anyway, inside the cap is a secret camera. It records everything and feeds all the footage back to HQ no matter where you are. You could be on the other side of the world and it'd still pick up everything! It records audio too, just to let you know."

Shuichi took it off and put it back on the table. This time he removed the other item in the package. His curious smile fell as soon as he realised what it was meant to be. "Ha ha. Very funny. Detectives don't smoke from pipes!"

"Lighten up a little! I'm sure you'll be more than willing to take it along with you when I tell you how it works." chuckled Gadget. 

"I don't smoke." Shuichi deadpanned. 

Gadget rolled his eyes. "No, idiot. It's not a real pipe. It's a voice thrower. Put it to your lips, breathe in, look in the direction you wanna use it and speak. Your voice should sound like it's coming from that direction! Pretty nifty, right? But you shouldn't use it too much, it could be pretty dangerous; it's still a pipe. Try it."

He hesitantly followed the instructions given and breathed in. Then he spoke. "Hello?" his voice rang from the opposite side of the room. Shuichi, though impressed (and in shock), raised a brow. "When would something like this be useful to me?" 

"I dunno. Maybe when you're cornered by the bad guys and you wanna take them by surprise." he shrugged. "You'll find a use for it. I'm certain it'll come in helpful. You'll definitely thank me later, I'm sure of that." Gadget smiled. "Now, onto Kokichi's gear."

Shuichi moved on swiftly and removed a solid black case from the other bag. It was slightly heavy, but Shuichi couldn't deny that he was curious to see what was inside. And it came as a shock. "A gun?"

The inventor shook his head in distaste. "Not just any old gun! A ray gun, except it's a laser which can cut through pretty much anything! Cool, right?"

"Y-Yeah... But are you sure we're going to need that? We're only hunting down a suspect." He gently closed the case and put it on the desk to avoid setting it off. 

Gadget returned the gadgets to their bags and put them all into a paper bag for the detective to carry. "Who knows? Kokichi's the one who requested all this stuff. He's been wanting to help you out on a case for a long time, you know?" 

Shuichi smiled softly as he felt his heart flutter. If that was true then Kokichi really must have been waiting for an opportunity like this for a long time. "I know."

"Everything in this box is based off Kokichi's own original designs. He's taken a great liking to all sorts of spy gear. He says it could help a lot of people. That boy really does have one hell of a talent for this sorta stuff. You oughta give him more credit when it's due..."

Shade cleared his throat. "That will be all Gadget, thank you. I should return you to the boss now, Shuichi. Bring your gear along with you."

"Thank you, Gadget!" Shuichi called as he left the lab for potentially the last time.

On the way back to the dining hall, Shade finally initiated conversation. "I want the best for Kokichi. You have no idea how long he's wanted to spent time like this with you."

Shuichi felt scorching eyes burn into the back of his head. "What do you mean by that?"

"He thinks you are too busy for him. He believes that joining you in an investigation is the only way that you won't lose interest in him." Shade explained. "Don't let me down."

_Is that why he's been so eager to please lately?_ Shuichi frowned. "I won't. Don't worry."

"I am not worrying at all. I'm just saying. I would hate for anything to happen to him." he said. "Speaking of which, if anything happens to Kokichi or anyone else of ours, I will make sure you pay with your life."

"Yeah, I know." he laughed. He knew Shade was joking from the amount of times he'd said this before. "Wait, what do you mean by 'anyone else'?"

Shade almost scoffed. "What? You mean to say you think we'd send you off with such high tech gear alone? No, no, you're taking Ego, Gadget, Pigtails and Vigour along with you. They're a great team."

"But I already told Kyoko it'd just be Kokichi coming." Shuichi said. _She's going to kill me._

"That is a shame." he shrugged with an invisible grin. "No DICE: no dice."

Shuichi huffed. "I don't know..."

"It's Kokichi's birthday soon. At least let there be some members of his family there to celebrate with him."

"That's...a fair point." _Unfortunately._ "Fine. Sure, they can come along." Shuichi reluctantly gave in, but he wasn't going to pretend he wasn't excited to use his new gear properly. More people made it feel like it was a real mission, one you see in the movies. That made eight of them; double the original number. 

Shade walked him to the dining hall and disappeared once more. Shuichi opened the door to see a room bustling with life, hungry mouths feasting on plates of divinely decorated pancakes. His boyfriend was just finishing his own plate when he called.

"Hi Shuichi! Want some pancakes? There's some extra if you want some." he cheered and signalled at him to sit in the empty seat beside him.

Shuichi shook his head politely. "I'm all right, thank you. We should be going now though. We need to pack and get some sleep for tomorrow."

"Oh, OK!" Kokichi hopped off his chair and discarded his apron before scuttling away. "By the way, don't be mad but since we're going for a super fun holiday I invited Maki and Kaito too! My _besties_!"

And that made ten.

Explaining this to Kyoko was _not_ going to be easy.


	8. All Aboard!

June 15th 2023. The day of their voyage to Loradsey Island had arrived.

Shuichi's alarm blared its dreadful tune and the boys scrambled to shut it up.

The detective shot up and checked the time. "Damn, Kokichi. We overslept. Get up." He climbed out of bed and opened his closet. 

Kokichi rolled over onto his boyfriend's side of the bed, revelling in the warmth. "Mm... By how long?" 

"Thirty minutes," he said. "Get dressed, we have to leave soon."

"Can't I have five more minutes?" Kokichi whined, sinking down further into the mattress. 

Shuichi paused and smiled over at him. "But if you sleep in I'll have no one to help me with my investigation. I need your help Kokichi. Please?"

"OK! But only because you asked so nicely." he beamed. He finally rolled out of bed to pick out something to wear.

The previous evening they had packed a suitcase of essentials each - clothes, toiletries and their allocated gadgets. All they needed. All they had to do this morning was get ready and meet at the docks in time to board the boat.

Shuichi, suited up with a plain t-shirt and shorts - by far the most casual he had looked in months - took a final glance at his suitcase before zipping it up again.

"Do you like the gadgets Shu?" asked Kokichi through a strained voice. He was trying to haul his heavy suitcase onto the bed but his tired body lacked the strength.

He nodded. "Yeah. I heard you're the genius behind them?"

"Yup! It's gonna be like a real spy espionage!" he cheered. "Did you remember to pack your socks?"

Shuichi raised a brow. That was a strange question. "Uh, yeah, why?"

"I saw them by the washing machine." said Kokichi. "Go check." And when Shuichi left the room in a hurry, he spent the few seconds it took Shuichi to check shoving his cape into his over-stuffed suitcase. 

Shuichi re-entered the bedroom. "Nope, I definitely packed them. Are you ready?" 

"Uh huh!"

-

It took a while to reach the port having no car. Being mid-June, the public transport was hot and lively, bustling with people fighting through the rush hour. Kokichi fell asleep on the train with his head on Shuichi's shoulder. Every time the train jolted on the tracks he would wake up, only to fall straight back to sleep again.

Despite finding his boyfriend resting on him calming, Shuichi couldn't help but worry about the adventure ahead. How would he explain to Kyoko how inviting just one person along turned into inviting seven? Technically, Shuichi _didn't_ invite them, but they were still his responsibility. And as Kaede liked to say, _the more the merrier!_

They were welcomed with great warmth upon their heads; a gift from the sun bathing in a crystal clear sky. Even the seagulls screeching in glee seemed happy to meet them as they swooped across the bay. The anticipation for a new adventure built up inside them, ready to explode as they crossed the old creaking planks underfoot. The walk to the yacht was long - with so many other boats preparing to depart, navigating through the crowds to find Kyoko and Rantaro was not the easiest task but the harmonious rumble of excited chatter only spurred the duo on. 

"There!" Kokichi called, pointing through the masses of people.

Shuichi looked up from the splintering pier and heaved his suitcase over a bumpy ridge in the wood. Kyoko and Rantaro were standing leisurely beside a grand boat gently bouncing on the still waves. It was an attractive vessel, great and grey with a white stripe running across its length.

Kokichi didn't hesitate to lift his suitcase off the ground (no doubt with a struggle) and, giant bag in his arms, ran off towards them. Shuichi followed close behind. He couldn't afford to lose himself or his boyfriend in the crowds. His sandals pounded against the wood as he gave chase and came to a stop with a wheeze.

"Hi!" Kokichi said, smiling up at the man he hadn't been introduced to yet. "I'm Kokichi Oma, and you must be the mansion man I've heard soo much about!" 

"Mansion man?" laughed Rantaro. "Haven't heard that one before. Good to meet ya." He turned to Shuichi. "Hey, how's it going? Glad you could make it."

"Ah, we're all right..." he huffed through broken breaths. While intelligent, Shuichi was not the fittest detective he could be. "I'm surprised we made it on time."

Kyoko shook her head. "There was a delay."

"Huh? Why?" 

"Something to do with a problem with security, but I don't know anything more than that." she said. "We should board before it's too late."

Kokichi snorted. "Security shmurity, who cares? Let's get this holiday started! Woo!" Before anyone could tell him otherwise, Kokichi hurried aboard the yacht.

"Your roommate seems cheerful," commented Rantaro as the trio followed him on.

Shuichi smiled. "Heh, yeah."

They caught up with Kokichi, who was now arguing with a woman with a thick Australian accent who they presumed to be the captain of the boat. She had threatened to call security to remove him from her vessel if he didn't present his boarding pass but the situation was quickly resolved when Kyoko pulled four from her pocket. This appeared the settle the woman down and she welcomed them aboard with a grand smile. The sun reflected off her prominent gold tooth, a sight so absurdly fascinating that Shuichi had to tell Kokichi to stop staring.

When they were finally on they decided to look around. They roamed the deck, drinking in the pleasant sights. The yacht was long for something less than a superyacht, stretching much further than expected.

At the front of the boat they spotted a shimmering blue pool. It was small (an estimate, considering the width of the vessel) and no doubt shallow too. But that didn't stop the small congregation of people who sat with their feet dipped into the sun-warmed water, luggage dumped on the deckchairs while they played. Rantaro wanted to have a look at it too, so the remaining trio followed him over.

On the way the group passed by a long black window which could almost barely be seen through, thanks to the beige-looking blinds half drawn on the inside. Shuichi stared into the glass as he wandered. He frowned at his glossy reflection. 

Shuichi felt uneasy. There was supposed to be way more of them coming, but DICE and his friends were nowhere in sight. Perhaps this would be a normal mission after all. 

Or maybe not. Not even halfway to the pool there was a loud commotion which disturbed the peace and a gaggle of four loudmouths scrambled on board, squawking about being late.

Kokichi turned to see what the sudden clamour was about and as soon as his eyes locked on to the group of goons he so adored his face lit up. "Ahoy mateys!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, arm waving high in the air to grab their attention. "Shiver me timbers, ye scallywags!" 

Rantaro poked Shuichi's arm. "What's up with the pirate talk all of a sudden?" 

"It's a Kokichi thing." shrugged Shuichi, very used to his boyfriend's ever-hectic chaos.

It was Vigour, real name: Osamu Aichu, who first spotted the sprinting imp zooming towards them. He raised his large hand as a polite greeting and Kokichi slowed to a stop, urging them to join the group.

Kyoko narrowed her eyes, brows furrowed in both confusion and distaste. "Shuichi." 

"Shuichi! Hey!" another voice called.

Kaito Momota emerged from the pool, sandals clapping at his wet feet as he jogged closer. Maki followed him, dragging both of their luggage along with her.

Shuichi waved back and chuckled through gritted teeth and shot an apologetic smile towards his colleague, one that begged for mercy and forgiveness.

All ten were united at last, and while Kyoko did not look impressed at all and Rantaro looked more astonished than anything, Kokichi was more than happy about his work. 

"Ahoy me hearties and landlubbers," He shot a look at Kaito. "Avast ye, buccaneers!" 

Kaito frowned. "Why'd you look at me, asshole?" 

"He probably has no idea what half the stuff he's spewing means, Kaito. Ignore him." sighed Shuichi. He avoided all eye contact with Kyoko, who poked daggers into his skull with her eyes. He made a mental note to apologise to her properly later.

Everyone stood together and introduced themselves to one another, chatting happily and getting on like a house on fire. It wasn't too much of a surprise that Kaito and Vigour hit it off immediately, both optimistic, brawny muscle-heads. Rantaro appeared to take a liking to Gadget and his eccentric hairstyle, admiring the amount of hair gel used to keep it reaching for the sky. Even Maki appeared to like Ego, the last person Maki would ever be seen dead conversing with, at least it seemed like she did; Maki usually made it very obvious when she did not like someone. Pigtails and Kyoko were not quite a perfect match but Shuichi could sense no tension in the air - Pigtails was used to dealing with cold characters. They reminded her of her brother, Shade. 

Shuichi thought it was funny how such polar opposites could possibly get along, but that was ridiculous: opposites attract, after all. Just like he and Kokichi, the perfect duo. Their bond was as unbreakable as molecules of carbon monoxide.

Kyoko cleared her throat to silence the cheery chatter. "If you're all done now, I think we should find our rooms."

"Please!" whined Pigtails. "My arms are aching! I need to put my bags down somewhere."

"Same here." agreed Maki. 

The adventurer nodded. "Then it's settled. I've been on here before, I'll show you where the bedrooms are. Your room number should be on your boarding passes."

"I thought you wanted to go to the pool." Shuichi said. "We could always wait for you and then find our rooms."

Maki frowned. "I'm not waiting. I want to get something to eat."

"Me too. I'm starving." Gadget added. 

Rantaro shook his head with a friendly smile. "Nah, no need. I'll take a look at the pool later. Besides, it's," He rolled up his sleeve, "already past eleven."

"That means we're leaving for Loobadooba Island pretty soon, doesn't it?" said Pigtails airily. 

Ego tutted. "It's _Loradsey_ , numbskull. But whatever. I'm starving. Rantaro, is it? Show us to our rooms."

"Haha, you got it, Einstein!"

And as soon as everyone was finished grumbling about how tired and hungry they were, Rantaro walked the group downstairs.

-

He looked at his watch. "We've just received the signal," he said, "everything is in order."

"Good, good. That's what I like to hear." She smiled her twisted smile. "And how long should it take to get our hands on them?" 

"A minimum of three days. After that, we have only fourteen days to eliminate them." another woman said. A lackey. 

The woman in charge turned to study the fire, the flames cowering in fear in her presence. "I can't wait to show those bastards what pain _really_ feels like."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm now updating once every two weeks! Sure, the chapters are short, but it's manageable and that's the main thing


	9. Abigail

When they found their room, Shuichi and Kokichi weren't at all hesitant to plonk their suitcases down on the floor and slide them under their chosen beds. 

The room was a lot smaller than they anticipated considering the boat looked so much bigger from the outside, but it was still cosy regardless. A little window between the beds revealed the outside world. The bottom half of it delved beneath the surface of the water. It was fascinating to look at; Shuichi found himself mesmerised by the way it sloshed against the glass so effortlessly. 

Kokichi threw himself onto one of the beds and wriggled himself into the white sheets, humming comfortably as he did so. "Mmm... These beds are way comfier than I expected!" he declared, snuggling into the duvet as if he were preparing to nap. 

"What were you expecting?" Shuichi sat down on the edge of the bed beside him. "Ah, they are pretty nice."

"Y'know those concrete slabs suspended from the walls that you find in dungeons and stuff? Or something like that." he said, "I don't particularly wanna sleep on one of those again. You can't even jump on them! They have no springs!" 

Shuichi raised a brow. "What do you mean _again_?" 

Kokichi stretched and repositioned himself so his hands were behind his head, bare arms contrasting greatly against the maroon pillow. "Oh, you know how it is. I'm an adventurous one. I get up to allll sorts of mischief! _Someone_ had to punish me for my evil-doing, y'know."

"That's true," Shuichi smiled, "maybe I _should_ turn you in for your past felonies after all..."

Kokichi shot up. "Noo, I'm a changed man! I fight evil!" He threw some punches at the air to emphasise. "Pow pow! See? Do you know what they do with cute guys like me? I'm too innocent to go to jail!" 

Shuichi rolled his eyes. "Really? There is nothing innocent about you, believe me."

He gasped, fully feigning offence. "I can't believe you would ever accuse me of something...so _true_." He wrapped his arms around his boyfriend's neck and pulled him on top of him.

Shuichi caught himself before he fell flat onto Kokichi, his hands planted at either side of his head. "We both know it's no secret."

"Correct again, detective," he purred, "God, you're so intelligent."

"Is it really intelligence or simply stating the obvious?"

"Who cares? Doesn't change the fact that I find it insanely hot."

"I'm just doing my job," Shuichi winked and leant down to lock lips with the boy with the devilish grin.

But it didn't last long at all.

"Hey! Pull your pants up and get out. We're all waiting in the dining room for you two." Maki demanded. Her voice was strangely unmuffled through the door. "We can hear absolutely everything you guys are saying."

"Ah, sorry!" Shuichi called, quickly untangling himself from Kokichi's hold.

"Yeah, whatever. Just hurry up. The dining room is down the hallway to the left, you can't miss it. Everyone is waiting. We'll meet you there." she said before walking away, her heels clacking on the wood.

Shuichi's face flushed. So the walls were paper thin. That was...good to know.

Kokichi burst into a fit of laughter as he hopped up from the bed. "Shu! I've never seen you move so fast!"

"Shut up! It's not funny," he mumbled. He was so ashamed that someone had actually heard them, and Maki at that. He planted his head in his hands. "We probably should go before she tells anyone what she thinks we were up to."

Kokichi crouched down in front of Shuichi and planted his elbows on his knees. He caught Shuichi peeking through his fingers at him and snorted at how red his cheeks were. "Aww, are you embarrassed? We didn't even do anything _that bad_. Let's just hope the walls at the hotel are more reliable, yeah?"

"I _will_ turn you in, Kokichi." he joked. "Or once we get to Loradsey Island I'll make you sleep on the floor."

Kokichi shrugged. "If that's the case I'll just be the monster under the bed and pinch your toes while you're sleeping."

"One word, four letters."

"Please? Wait, no, that's five..."

"Jail."

Kokichi sniggered and grabbed Shuichi's hands to pull him up. "C'mon comedian, they might have coffee here."

That was all it took - Shuichi Saihara was out the door.

-

When Shuichi opened the door to the dining room he couldn't say he was overwhelmed by the interior. There were three tables in total, two long which seated ten people each, and the Captain's table. Like the bedrooms, the room was small, but that was to be expected, and as a result the tables and benches were quite squished together.

They appeared like typical school cafeteria tables with their grey tabletops and it put a bad taste in his mouth. Everyone was cramped around one table. He stumbled alongside Kokichi over to join their friends, blinking away memories of painful high school days as they slid onto the last empty spaces the benches had to offer.

"Hey!" Kaito yelled, "Do you guys like lemonade? We sent Pigtails and Vigour to go and grab us some lunch. There isn't much variety on the drinks menu so I hope lemonade is all right."

"Do they have Panta?" asked Kokichi, who huffed with disappointment after scanning the menu himself. "What the hell? No one even drinks Splite! Panta is the best! Why don't they have Panta? That's not fair!"

Shuichi took the menu from Kokichi's hands and read it. "So they don't serve coffee here after all?" That really took a toll on his enthusiasm for the trip. He wasn't sure how he was going to manage without any coffee.

Ego shook his head and groaned. "Unfortunately not. They don't serve tea either. It doesn't look like they serve hot drinks." he complained, but his eyes remained fixated on something he was hiding under the table. "Not that I care; imagine needing caffiene to function adequately."

Kokichi leaned across the table and mock-mumbled at a volume the whole group could hear. "Careful hot-shot, there's a certain detective on board who is quite passionate about his coffee. Test him during his coffee withdrawals and he'll lock you up for hate crimes!"

A wave of laughter swept the table, though Ego didn't care much for his jokes, opting to continue fiddling with the thing on his lap. He was completely focused, even when Pigtails and Vigour returned with trays of drinks and sandwiches. 

After viewing the disaster of the drinks menu, the group were more than praying for their sandwiches to redeem it. However, again, the options were limited to either salad or fish paste as fillings - none of which fell into any category of luxury cuisine.

When they were passed out to everyone, Gadget almost gagged. He whispered to Kyoko and showed her the fillings, pointing to something looking rather worm-like. "Yo, you're well endorsed in the art of being smart. What's this?" 

Kyoko studied it for a moment. "Probably a vegetable."

"Probably?" he cried, jaw dropping in disbelief when she took a bite from her own without an issue. 

"Just don't think about it and eat. Vigour, Rantaro and Kaito don't seem to have a problem." And she was right; the boys had scoffed nearly all their lunch already. Ego, Pigtails, Maki and Shuichi were more cautious, meanwhile Kokichi was pulling sour faces at his own and plucking out the thin slices of tomato to drop them onto Shuichi's plate.

"Geez. You lot are brave. I think I'll sit this one out - dinner at the island hotel is sure to be so much better." Gadget decided and pushed his plate away. At least the lemonade tasted decent. If it was lemonade. He didn't want to think of what else it could be. 

"Speaking of the hotel," Ego began, "what even is there to do here while we wait? I am not fond of the idea of being stuck with imbeciles." 

It was then the Captain herself slid out from the kitchen and approached them with a grin. "My ship may be small but there's plenty to do. Take the pool for example, and the lounge. We've got fruit machines, dart boards and a snooker table at your disposal, a TV too, in case you're interested."

"I suppose that's enough to entertain for a few hours." he sneered. "It's too bad there's no signal out here, but whatever."

"Argh! Blow the man down! Ego's such a party pooper." Kokichi chirped.

The Captain frowned. "I don't talk like that."

Kyoko put down her glass. There were bright red lipstick stains spanning the rim, hence her drink was untouched. "May I ask, when are we due to arrive at the island?" It was a detail Rantaro had neglected to mention.

"Why, three days!"

_Three_ whole days of paper thin walls and fish paste sandwiches.

Kaito stood and slammed his hands on the table, sending a jolt through the wood. "The hell do you mean three days? It doesn't say anything about it taking that long online!"

"Because," the Captain explained, "my vessel is a small one, she is - she can't handle rough waves or aggressive storms. Loradsey Island is surrounded by jagged rocks and turbulent seas. It's safer to take the detour and go the alternate route; I don't want my services gettin' a bad reputation!" she cackled.

"Besides, it should be nice to spend three whole days admiring the world." Rantaro added. "I travel all the time and the views never fail to amaze me. I'm sure you'll all love it."

An enthusiastic fist pounded the table. "Aye! Quit the mutiny ye landlubbers! Shiver me timbers!" Kokichi chimed. An excellent contribution which earned a frustrated slow-blink from the Captain. She kindly reminded him that she was not a pirate.

Everyone else shared the same look of concern but swallowed any protests. It couldn't be that bad, right?

Maki shrugged. "Guess there's no other way around it. I'm hitting the lounge, those dart boards have my name on them." 

The Captain winked. "See! Enjoy yourselves." She turned to Rantaro. "A pleasure to see you again. Going back to Loradsey so soon? Come, walk and talk." The pair quickly left to catch up.

"So..." Pigtails started, "Anyone wanna join me in the pool? Vigour? Miss Kirigiri? Gadget?"

"Yeah, might as well. Nothing better to do." suggested Gadget, though Vigour and Kyoko declined the offer.

The group eventually dispursed in order to laze the day away, each of them peeling apart as they exited the dining room. Only Shuichi and Kokichi remained, and Shuichi was not willing to move until he knew Kyoko had gone. He refused to even look at her, just in case she'd scold him for it. He knew he'd have to face her soon enough, but he wasn't prepared just yet. 

"Get UP Shu! Let's go!" Kokichi tugged on his shirt. "I wanna spend the day with you! We can do something fun!"

"Oh yeah? What do you have in mind?" he said. Kokichi's voice seemed to have taken his mind off of Kyoko. For now at least.

Kokichi hummed in thought and drummed his fingers against the table. "Dunno! But I want to know more about the island! I still think the whole 'curse' thing is stupid."

"Then maybe we should ask the Captain if she knows anything. From the sound of it, she's likely familiar with the island considering she makes the trip across so often. Just let me get my hat first."

"Good idea. I knew I could count on you and your big brain!"

-

Kaede held Iyu in her arms as she carefully danced around the living room. Maki and Kaito had asked her to babysit while they went overseas, but they hadn't told her why.

It was peculiar how she'd talked about an island and then all of a sudden her friends had dropped off their baby with her and abandoned the country without a single word of warning. But life was strange, she supposed, and full of wild coincidences, so she brushed it off and continued to gently glide across the floor.

Iyu smiled up at her without a single care in the world.

-

They found the Captain gazing off at the ocean with Rantaro, both deep in quiet, secretive conversation. Or maybe the sounds of the sea drowned them out. It was impossible to tell.

Kokichi skipped forward to yell: "Thar she blows!" at the top of his lungs. Startled, they both spun around to see who had intruded their discussion (although it wasn't difficult). 

"Hey," Shuichi called as the boys approached. "Sorry to interrupt. Mind if we join?"

Rantaro shook his head. "Nah, not at all. We weren't talking about anything too important anyway. What's up?"

"Ah, not much." Shuichi was never good at small talk. He never had anything interesting to say. "Kokichi and I were just exploring the ship. We thought we'd say hello."

Kokichi nodded. "That's exactly what happened! We are very polite."

"That's nice," the Captain said. "How are you finding it so far? My Abigail is quite humble, no?" 

Shuichi stirred. "Abigail?"

"That's the name of my ship!" She slapped the railing heartily. "Nice, ain't it?" 

"Aye, a beauty she be..." murmured Kokichi mockingly. He pressed his hands together like praying.

Rantaro chuckled at the quiet remark. "Ava's actually pretty proud of her boat. I think it's cosy." He paused and then continued. "Ava is the Captain, by the way."

"Ava _is_ the Captain," she replied. "And Ava isn't fond of her passengers knowing her name, Rantaro."

"Ah, my bad." he smiled. 

Shuichi took this as an opportunity to chip in. His primary objective was to learn about the island, after all. "So you two know each other?"

The Captain grinned. "Yep! Boarded my ship at Loradsey and vowed never to return! Ain't it funny how he's going back so soon? Real joker, he is. Aren't you, Ran?"

"Haha, yeah. Suppose you could say that." Rantaro said. He swallowed harshly.

"Since we're on the topic of Loradsey Island," Kokichi babbled, "and we're on our _way_ to Loradsey Island... D'ya think we can hear a bit more about it? I'm super interested!"

"Of course you can! Don't be afraid to ask questions, boys. The world we live in is fascinating!" the Captain inhaled the brisk, crisp air deeply to exaggerate. "In fact, this is the last trip to Loradsey for a while... Something at the island has been scaring tourists away. There's usually a long waiting list, you see. I can only allow twenty passengers per voyage. But your lot was the last of 'em."

Shuichi subtly turned on the camera in his DICE-supplied hat. The footage would immediately be sent to headquarters. "Do you know why people are being scared away from the island? What happened?"

A frown embraced her features. Her orange skin contorted in all the wrong places. "The alleged curse has been spooking people. I personally haven't had any experiences with it, but I've been told of hearing voices of relatives and noises, feeling eerie presences in the darkness, especially when alone, and some have reported seeing silhouettes or black figures in the distance. Creepy stuff, right? But I think that should make it even _more_ of a tourist attraction for thrill seekers!"

Kokichi puffed his cheeks out. "Ooh, soo scary! Sounds like a load of pothead bullshit. Ghosts aren't real!"

Ava bit the inside of her cheek. "Whatever you think of it is up to you, but you'll see for yourself whether it's real or not."

"Still, it's best not to tell Kaito about any curses." Shuichi apprehensively suggested.

Rantaro raised a brow. "Why not? He scared of ghosts or something?"

"Aye aye, matey! One mention of the supernatural and he becomes a fully fledged recluse!" Kokichi snarled with a toothy grin. The list of pranks he could pull on Kaito was growing longer and longer. Oh, the chaos he could ensue! "Oi, Ava, do you know anything about the legend?" 

The Captain's eyes shone with a ravenous gleam. "The legend of Loradsey Island is one of my favourites. The poor leg people deserved better."

"Leg people?" the boys said in unison. That was new. 

"Yes." she uttered knowingly. "Oh, there's plenty different versions of the legend. The tale of the arm and leg division is my favourite."

Rantaro combed his fingers through his hair in an attempt to divert the sun induced sweat from his forehead. "I haven't heard that one before. I've heard about the Myazou tribe and their corrupt leader, Sewati."

"That's the one everyone knows." She began to make her leave. "Maybe I'll tell you all about the arm-leg division another time. I've got to attend to some captainy duties."

"Can I come?" Kokichi called. "I wanna watch!"

"If you quit the pirate impressions."

"Aye aye Captain!" Kokichi scuttled away without a single ounce of hesitation. Perhaps he wanted to squeeze more island stories out of her. So much for spending the day with Shuichi.

Rantaro turned back to the waves and revelled in the summertime sea breeze. "He's a pretty interesting character, isn't he?"

"Hm? Oh you mean Kokichi?" Shuichi joined him by his side with a smile. "He's definitely one of a kind."

"Tell me about yourself."

The detective shifted nervously. "What do you want me to say?"

Rantaro pressed his arms against the sturdy railing, leaning towards the sea. "Your call." 

-

Shuichi's uncle turned the key in the lock and gave a sigh of relief. Another day of work over! And his brother and sister-in-law were finally out of the country - thank God for that! If he got home quick enough he'd be able to catch the six'o'clock news and relax on his patio with a frothy beer beneath the setting sun. Now that was the life.

Briefcase in hand, he began his stroll back to his suburban bungalow, until a specific phone call came to mind and he rounded on his heels.

Shuichi told him the boat departed yesterday, the day his parents visited, but something didn't sit right in his stomach. He was a smart boy. Worthy of a title such as the celebrated Kyoko Kirigiri's.

He tried calling him. Seven times, to be exact, before he decided something was absolutely wrong. He had to make sure Shuichi was home. And if he wasn't? He didn't need to consider how angry he'd be. 

He stormed over to Shuichi's building, teeth gritted the whole elevator ride up to the ninth floor. His fists pounded against apartment 9-3 and increased in vigour the longer the door was left unanswered. No one was home. And he was PISSED.

He slammed his fist a final time before accepting the truth. Shuichi had taken the case. He had betrayed his uncle's trust to take a case. And now he was abroad. Somewhere far away with no way of tracking him down.

He had to find him and bring him home. Shuichi Saihara was officially suspended from detective work until further notice.

If anyone knew where his nephew was, as much as he despised the notion, 6-7 would. 

-

The sun was setting and casting brilliant rippling light shows across the water.

Shuichi found talking to Rantaro quite relaxing. He was more easy-going than he originally thought and had such a blithesome attitude towards the world. Rantaro was pleasant to be around.

He'd learned a lot about him. How he'd managed to lose twelve of his sisters during his travels, his skill for cooking and even heard stories about his adventures. It was far more than Shuichi could ever say about himself. Regardless, he still enjoyed listening. 

"That's really impressive," he said. "Have you ever thought about giving up on finding your sisters?"

"Sometimes. But that's only because my parents tell me to," sighed Rantaro, "They say it'll be impossible to find them now, but I don't think I should give up just yet. I know they're out there somewhere. I just need to work harder. Before it _is_ too late." He turned towards Shuichi. "You get what I mean, right?"

He tilted his head slowly. "I think so."

"I remember reading about a case you were working on a while back. The Phantom Thief one."

"Oh. Yeah, that was tough, haha..." He swallowed. Did he know the truth? No one could possibly know.

"Must've been so hard for you to chase someone for so long only to watch them die before your eyes. You were so close, and yet so far. The case is still unsolved. They never found a body, did they?" Rantaro's eyes met Shuichi's. A chill shot through the detective's spine. "I don't want it to be the same for me- for them. I need to work harder."

So he didn't know the Phantom Thief was alive and well. That was good. But the insinuation that he hadn't worked hard to solve that case stung. He _had_ worked hard. He _did_ solve it. He solved two unsolvable crimes, he just couldn't tell anybody. That was what made it even more frustrating. "Yeah, it was tragic."

Rantaro stumbled back and raised his hands in front of him. "Ah, no, sorry. I didn't mean for it to come off that way. You had the Phantom Thief cornered and he knew it. The thief was a coward and he gave up. You didn't give up until the very end. That's why you're a brilliant detective." His eyes held a friendly beam and it was hard for Shuichi not to smile back. "You're resilient. I like that about you. I think you're more capable than you know. That's why you're working alongside Kyoko Kirigiri."

"Thanks," he said. The air was silent and the sea weakly splashed against the boat. Compliments were hard to accept. "I'm pretty tired. I think I might head back to my room for now."

"Sure, I'll walk you." Rantaro offered, leading the way. "You may not see it now, but I think you're more than capable of surpassing her. If anyone's gonna solve this case, it's you. I have faith in that. There's no need to be intimidated by her."

Shuichi stopped. "You can tell?" 

"Well, yeah. You don't try to hide it very well." Rantaro cracked his knuckles and continued walking. "She doesn't know half the stuff you do. You gonna stand there all night?"

He hurried after him and let Rantaro lead him the rest of the way. "I'm coming, I'm coming. You really know your way around the boat, don't you?"

"Pretty much. I'm good at remembering routes and stuff. Kinda why I'm a pro at travelling," He shrugged. "You're a detective so your memory has gotta be pretty reliable, too, doesn't it? We're not too different, in a way. I mean besides from our professions and...a bunch of other stuff actually!" Rantaro started to laugh and Shuichi couldn't help but chuckle along.

They stopped outside his room. "My memory can be really good when I need it to be. And on that note, I haven't seen Kokichi in a while. Do you think he's still with the Captain?"

"Probably. Ava likes to teach. She goes overboard," He thought about it for a moment. "Either that or she's thrown _him_ overboard from pirate impression abuse."

Shuichi choked out a laugh. "I really wouldn't put it past him. I suppose I'll have to write her a formal apology on his behalf."

Rantaro leaned against the wall. "Maybe."

"Well, I'll see you later then."

"Yeah. See ya."

Rantaro watched Shuichi slip into his room without a word. He smiled to himself, hearing him plop down on his bed. There was more to Shuichi than meets the eye.

He knew Shuichi was going to solve it all.


	10. Inkerprints

Kokichi was the first thing Shuichi saw when he was abruptly awoken at half past eight in the morning. It was the ticklish sensation of silky locks brushing against his nose that had startled him, opening his eyes to be greeted by a devilish grin and sparkling lavender irises. Kokichi was practically looming over him like it was the most natural thing in the world, drinking in all of his sleepy features.

"Mm." he hummed, lacking the energy to speak as he drifted slowly back to sleep. His eyelids felt like lead but Kokichi refused to lose his attention.

"Hey," Kokichi prodded at his cheek with a gentle finger, enjoying how the soft flesh squished beneath his touch. "Wake up. Wake up, Shuichi," he whined, "I'm bored and you're the only person who can satisfy my needs!"

Shuichi reluctantly sat up and rubbed his eyes, minding not to headbutt his boyfriend who was still standing over him. "I'm up...I guess."

"Good!" he beamed. "Y'know, I couldn't find you anywhere last night after Ava shooed me away. You missed dinner too - I mean you didn't miss much at all; the stew tasted way off. But that's besides the point! I asked everyone if they'd seen you around, but then Rantaro told me you'd retreated for the night."

"Yeah, sorry about that. I was just resting for a minute, but I guess I fell asleep." Shuichi said. For a moment he was glad he'd dodged the grubby bullet the dining hall offered, but the pang of hunger in his stomach said otherwise. "What did you and the Captain get up to?"

Kokichi's eyes lit up. "I thought you'd never ask!" he mused. "She let me steer the ship as her assistant! Only a little bit though, but it was still fun! She showed me all these cool things about how to control a ship and what all those little buttons do. I was going to tell you last night but you were out cold." Besides, not that he'd admit it, but he didn't want to wake him. Not when he was sleeping so peacefully. It was clear all those late nights had caught up with him and, usually being the first to fall asleep, Kokichi finally got the opportunity to tuck him in and wish him goodnight. And he absolutely would not mention how he brushed his hair from the frame of his face while peppering little kisses across his forehead. That was his little secret. "She's a bit weird. I think we understand each other."

Shuichi smiled and pulled him onto his lap in a loving embrace. "Is that so? It sounds like you had a good time." And then he pressed a soft kiss to his lips. He loved him so much. 

What he wouldn't give for this boy. He'd do anything to be beside him forever.

-

The breakfast menu was much more pleasant than any other, Shuichi noted. There was a variety of cereals to choose from and the wave of relief that crashed over him was enough to make him practically collapse onto the bench in famished anticipation.

He and Kokichi weren't the first there. They were beaten by Kyoko, Gadget, Ego and Kaito. The early birds of the group, excluding Captain Ava who was sitting with Kyoko, legs swinging giddily under the table. Normally Maki would join this category, but Kaito said she was showering. Everyone else were assumed to be sleeping still. 

"Morning, Shuichi!" beamed Kaito. "I was worried about you last night. You just disappeared."

Shuichi returned the greeting with an exhausted flourish. "I fell asleep early. Sorry for worrying you. But, uh, why were you worried, out of curiosity? Did something happen?"

Gadget tapped his glass with his spoon as he swallowed a mouthful of half-chewed cereal. "You don't know? Did you really sleep through that storm last night?" 

"There was a storm? Can this boat handle a storm?" Shuichi spluttered. 

"Nah, not a weather storm. An Ego storm." Gadget clarified. "He went a bit apeshit last night. Ain't that right, E-boy?"

Ego glared. "I was not going 'apeshit', you pedantic mouth breather."

"Hell yeah you were! You really went off on a tangent. Never could've guessed you were sine!"

Shuichi raised his voice above the commotion. "Wait, wait. What happened?"

Gadget spoke through a mouthful of cornflakes. "The dinner was so bad it pissed Ego off. He thundered off threatening to throw anyone who irritated him in the slightest overboard. So we kinda thought you were at the bottom of the ocean."

"You expect me to live _two more days_ like this? I'd rather starve than subject myself to such atrocities!" Ego exclaimed.

"Put a sock in it Ego!" Kokichi chipped in. "If my job were to hear you whine about your ungratifiable needs I would've gone on strike." Ego flipped him off and that was the end of it. 

Ava was far too busy giggling at Kyoko to pay any attention to the boys' criticism of her cooking, which was probably for the best.

Shuichi looked over at them and felt another pang in his gut. He couldn't keep avoiding Kyoko forever. He knew he messed up and he needed to apologise. If he didn't, it could screw up the investigation altogether.

Kyoko caught him staring and lifted herself from her seat. "Shuichi, we're going."

"Huh? Where?"

She held the door open for the Captain as she left and beckoned her colleague to follow her. "The bridge. I want to investigate something, come with me."

-

Ava led them to the room where she controlled the ship. Just as Kokichi had claimed, there were tons of tiny buttons; Shuichi could only imagine their functions. "Here it is, detectives! Let me know if you need anything, yeah?"

"Yes, thank you." Kyoko said before turning to Shuichi. "I want to look for any significant documents about Loradsey Island. Ava told me an interesting story, another version of the legend. Have you heard about the Limb People?" Shuichi shook his head. "To put it simply, the Limb People consisted of both Arm People and Leg People. Arm People had more arms than legs and Leg People had more legs than arms. Simple concept. Both were seen as a strength and the Arm and Leg People were encouraged to mingle. Offspring of the two were thought to be the strongest beings of all. Though, a time came where they were forced to separate. The Arm People were deemed to be stronger and more entitled to life, while the Leg People were left behind to die when the Gods struck down upon the island and raised a volcano to wipe the tribe out. Some believe Sewati - the leader of the Myazou tribe - was the one who caused the separation. He often picked favourites, for instance women, or in this case, who he deemed stronger."

"So you want to find out more about the island's history? I'll help you search."

Kyoko opened a drawer. "Ava said all the necessary resources should be in the filing cabinets. Let me know if you find anything."

Shuichi watched his colleague shuffle through the cabinet drawers, flicking through files and taking relevant ones out. He swallowed thickly, pushing the lump in his throat back down. It was the moment of truth. "Kyoko?" His heart almost stopped when she turned back to look at him. "I'm sorry about bringing unnecessary passengers with us. I know it was just supposed to be Kokichi but," But what? But it wasn't his fault? He knew it was. He had to take responsibility. If he didn't, what was the point of even apologising in the first place? "I'm sorry."

Their eye contact was wholly unbroken. Her eyes bored into his skull as if considering her options. Did she regret suggesting him to her boss? Would she drop him from the case?

Then she nodded slowly. "There's nothing we can do about it now." She turned back to the files, opening them up and scanning through them. "6-7 can't find out about this though. Try and keep them out of the way of the investigation."

In a way, the extra personnel had its benefits. Kokichi wouldn't be alone and had people to spend time with while she and Shuichi worked on the case. Either way, they had a job to do. 

Shuichi quickly joined her in sorting through the documents. There were numerous sheets in each file, but one of the titles caught his eye. A file named _Myths, Murders and Legends, Vol. 3, No. 2 (Aug., 1996)_ , one of several publications on the topic. 

When Shuichi opened the file, doused in intrigue, he found only clippings of what was supposed to be a full paper. He slipped the papers out and began to read what had been left behind - perhaps this would give him more insight into what Loradsey Island had in store.

_Loradsey Island. An island which allegedly claimed the lives of dozens._

Just like Kaede mentioned, Shuichi assumed it was addressing the legend of the Myazou tribe. Finally, he would be able to learn more about the island's past. He interested in learning more about it. DICE could probably dig up more on it, so he tilted his DICE-issued camera hat downwards to focus on the paper. 

_Isolated to the east of Japan, Loradsey Island rapidly gained both attraction and a negative reputation from theorists and thrill-seekers alike as numerous mysterious disappearances shook the general public._

This was new. Shuichi quickly skimmed through a few more paragraphs, and then stopped, eyes wide. He disrupted Kyoko's reading and called her over to show her what he'd found. And what they read was undoubtedly startling. 

_Although strange noises and dizzying hallucinations were common associations with the curse lingering on the island, in 1952 the island's history worsened. In a single year the island became the site of the disappearances of three children and a young man. Despite being reported missing, search parties were strictly forbidden and all those who defied this rule were swiftly removed from the island._

_Many acknowledged bizarre behaviour displayed by the Kahunas but none interfered, opting to conspire the liklihood of something being hidden from them. But soon enough, all was covered up and forgotten._

_The following year two more incidents forced Loradsey's reputation into a devastating decline. In the August of 1953, seven women were reported missing on the same night. All of which were staying at the hotel and had gone on a tour of the island with several others, but they were the only ones who never returned. The Big Kahuna ordered for a search party, in fear of prosecution, but the women were never located. Although, all belongings they had on their person were found in the rainforest in a dishevelled pile, some clothes bloodied and others torn to shreds._

_Just two months later, in October, whole fingernails were found scattered along the beach. It was estimated that there were enough fingernails to belong to thirteen adults. This was further proven when the fingers showed up, hanging from trees by red thread._

_Many believed this concluded the series of twisted events that plagued the island, yet it was impossible to know who was responsible. The case was closed, assuming they would never know. However, in April 1966 the discovery of human skeletons sent both the inhabitants of the island and the outside world into a frenzy. It was found that the skeletal remains were extracted from fresh corpses. The flesh once clinging to the bones had been entirely scraped off, save for the blood. This, in turn, was the last of Loradsey Island's torture. Nevertheless, the reputation of the island had taken a horrific blow and since the damage has been unrepairable._

_But was this the work of a serial murderer, or perhaps something darker luring its victims to their doom? The closure of the island was inevitable, inaccessible from 1967 to the summer of 1988 where it reopened with extra precautions in order. There have been no such incidences since._

"Is there any more to the article?" she asked. She leafed through the scraps of paper in her hand in search for anything else, though her search was fruitless.

He shook his head. "No, there's only those few scraps. The rest isn't here. Do you think the rest might be in another file?"

"That certainly is a possibility. Those disappearances may be somehow connected to our case," Kyoko said. "Try and find another article from the same volume."

"There's nothing else, I already checked. I couldn't find a thing." Shuichi frowned. As if to prove a point he began rummaging through the folders again.

Kyoko returned to where she stood before, pulling files from the cabinet. "Look again, you may have missed something important."

It was silent for a moment. "What makes you think the disappearances could be connected to the case?" Shuichi suddenly asked. "The 1950s were seventy years ago. Whoever was behind them couldn't be alive today."

"I can't yet say for certain, but we can't rule out the possibility someone may have taken inspiration from these incidents," she explained. "Like a copycat killer, if you will."

He paused, "I see... That's really interesting, actually. I remember reading about something similar once, where someone tried to replicate the actions of the Zodiac Killer. Not that that's revelant to the case though!"

Kyoko simply nodded. "Shuichi, come take a look at this." She unrolled a crumpled scroll and flattened the paper on the desk with her gloved palms. "It's a map of the island before it was abandoned in 1967."

It was as she said. Before their eyes was an old depiction of Loradsey Island, yellowed with age. The island looked precisely how they'd been told in the stories they'd heard; a large building beside a small port - the hotel, a vast expanse of rainforest spanning almost the entirety of the island, and far in the north a volcano stood threatening and proud, the trees bowing at its knees.

But there was an even bigger problem than the treat of an eruption (however unlikely it was). The top right of the map had been completely blacked out. Whether ink had been spilled on it or it had been purposely scribbled out, the detectives weren't sure. Not yet. Their suspicions were piqued.

Shuichi pointed at the ink. "Half the island is practically covered. Do you think there's anything important hidden under it?"

"I don't know, but it's evident that someone doesn't want us to see. Could you please try and find a more recent map, Shuichi?"

Shuichi agreed and rifled through Kyoko's abandoned paper pile. A few minutes later, he retrieved another map. This time, from a much more recent date - 1988. "Here," he said as he rolled it out beside the other.

The new map pretty much was exactly the same as the old, except there were less trees, more beach and the hotel was a lot bigger.

What really took the detectives by surprise was the blotches of ink spanning the corner of the island map just like they'd seen on the old map. But it confirmed Kyoko's suspicions; something was being hidden from them.

"It seems we'll have to explore the island ourselves to get to the bottom of this," Kyoko decided. "There must be a reason the same portion of the map is blacked out. Someone doesn't want us to see this."

Shuichi traced his index over the ink and inspected his finger. The ink had smudged onto his skin. He wiped it with his thumb to try and rub it off but it only smudged further. Shuichi showed Kyoko. "The ink," he said, "it's wet. And it's really sticky? Is it glue or something?"

"Hold still." Kyoko grabbed his hand and analysed the black smears on his fingers. And then she smelled it. "It's printing ink, the type you do art with. It can take a while to dry."

"So that means..."

"The sabotage is recent..." she mumbled. "I suggest you don't touch anything. Try not to leave fingerprints anywhere. Be careful."

The detective nodded. Who could be responsible? 

The last person who was in this room?

The only person who could...

... _Ava._

-

The subordinate stood outside her room and listened to her talk. She was irked, that much was obvious, but surely whoever was on the line wasn't ruining the plan? 

"Yeah, yeah...Thank you _very much_ for the update... Uh huh...Uh huh...Oh, what? I don't _think_ so. Watch the attitude...Why not? _Why not?_ This is a tale of revenge, pleb, revenge. I can't let you go ruining anything!...Yes...And here I was thinking you understood the notion...Oh boy, you know how to disappoint!...Absolutely...I wouldn't call myself a chef, but the best revenge is a satisfying dish served _cold_...Cliché, huh?...That's right!...Cold, harsh, cruel revenge - or what I like to call _'returning the favour'_...They're the ones who begged me for this banquet of consequences...So you do understand after all...Let me remind you though, try anything funny and you're as dead as all of them...Your time will come soon...Yep...All right. Buh-bye!"

-

The detectives reunited with the others around the pool. 

Kokichi scurried over as soon as he noticed Shuichi's arrival. "Hey Shu-Shu! Come over here! Rantaro and I have been speculating how many corpses we could find if we went diving here!"

"What?"

"I'm just kidding! We've just been watching the waves. Rantaro is super cool, Shuichi! Do you think I could pull off all those piercings too?" 

Shuichi smiled endearingly as he ruffled Kokichi's hair. "Uh, I'm not sure. You're too cute. I love that about you."

"Eww, romance! Bleugh! Quit the PDA, Shu!" He grabbed him by both hands and pulled him towards the side of the boat. "Instead come over here! Come corpse conspire with us. You'll be great! You're the detective here! Oh yeah, tell me about the investigation!"

He lowered his voice. "I'll tell you later, when we're alone. But I got it all recorded with the hat. HQ got the footage, right?" 

"Ooh, making use of our gadgets huh? I've always liked intelligence in a man. HQ should be _pleased_."

Shuichi laughed. "Weren't you the one just retching at romance and affection a moment ago?" 

"Aw, you got me again! So attentive! You're as sharp as ever! And uh...sticky?" Kokichi pulled his hand back and studied his fingers. "Nice inkerprints."


	11. Land Ho!

After dinner (satisfactory cuisine by no means - cereal - for most of the passengers who politely refused Captain Ava's stew) Shuichi decided to go for a leisurely stroll around the boat. It would be pleasant to take in his surroundings. He'd never been abroad before, this was all so new to him and he loved it.

Kokichi had opted to stay with his fellow ex-members of DICE, while the others parted ways, some retiring for the night. They were nearing Loradsey Island - only a day or so remained.

The only person who wasn't present at dinner was Rantaro Amami, but it wasn't long before Shuichi found him gazing longingly at the rippling ocean once more. 

He appeared at ease. Mesmerised. And as Shuichi came to stand beside him, he understood. The sea glistened with a fiery hue, sunset melting into the waves with an inviting gleam.

Rantaro closed his eyes and breathed in the ocean air through his nose, soft breeze combing his hair. The salty smell that lingered in Shuichi's nose was quickly overpowered by Rantaro's cologne. It smelled divine. Like home. It had only been two days, but Shuichi dearly missed home.

After a moment Rantaro at last acknowledged his company with a smile. "Hey, Shuichi. Do you need something?"

"No, not really," he said before looking him over. The smile on his face did not reach his eyes. "Is something wrong? You didn't show up to eat."

Rantaro chuckled. "I really didn't think you'd ask. I'm not that hungry tonight. Must be the nerves, I suppose."

"Why are you nervous? Is it about the case? Ah, you really shouldn't worry; we have Kyoko." Shuichi reassured him. "With her on our side, we're guaranteed to solve this case."

His smile disappeared. "That's true, she is remarkable at what she does. But it doesn't change the fact I could be putting everyone in grave danger."

"Taking those risks is part of the job. No harm will come to any of you. Kyoko and I can handle it. I never meant to get anyone else roped into this..." Shuichi reassured him. "Don't worry, we'll stop whoever is behind all of this."

"That's good and all, but what if they find you first?"

The question took Shuichi by surprise. If he were talking to anyone else it might have appeared a threat. "I-I don't know, I never plan that far ahead. You don't really think about those sort of things when you're the one hunting criminals down... But we'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen."

"Don't go throwing yourself into any unnecessary danger, now." Rantaro faced him, leaning his back against the railing. "You're pretty optimistic. I like that."

"Ah, not really." mumbled Shuichi. He missed Kaede and her cheery encouragement he could only dream of replicating. It had barely been a few days but he hoped she was alright. 

"Can't take a compliment, huh? You shouldn't put yourself down so much, Shuichi." His warm eyes made direct contact with the detective's. There was something about it that was chilling. Unnerving. 

"I don't mean to, I just-" Shuichi froze as Rantaro placed his hand on his shoulder. "Uh."

"Please tell me if I'm coming off too strong, but I'm really curious about you - I want to get to know you better. I'd love to take you out sometime." he beamed. "Oh, sorry, I should've asked first; do you have a girlfriend?"

Shuichi swallowed as Rantaro's grip tightened ever so slightly, like he was trying to pull him closer. The cogs in his head were turning noisily trying to make sense of what was happening. "N-No, not a girlfriend. You sound like my parents. Wait, are you trying to flirt with me?"

"I might be." he grinned. "You into guys?"

"Sorry, I have a boyfriend." Shuichi freed himself from his grasp and stepped away. "And-And besides! You're a client. I have to keep our relationship strictly professional. I hope you understand."

Rantaro cracked his knuckles and sighed in defeat. "Ah, my bad. I'm sorry. I didn't realise you already had a partner, please forgive me. If you want a strictly professional relationship then I'll gladly respect that."

"Forget it. It's fine." Shuichi blurted out. His hands clenched into fists and his eyes burned with tears for some reason. "I really should go to bed, I'm exhausted. See you tomorrow."

"Do you want me to walk you to your room?" the explorer called, but Shuichi was already gone.

-

Shuichi laid in bed, pillow hugged against his chest as he listened to Kokichi's soft snores. Guilt swelled in his stomach and bile rose to his throat. He didn't deserve Kokichi. 

He felt dirty, like he'd straight up cheated on the love of his life. Absolutely filthy. Of course he hadn't done anything - he would never! - but the fear was still there, lurking in the back of his mind. Sure, he initially thought Rantaro was attractive, someone he wished he could look like, but that meant nothing. He adored Kokichi more than anything and anyone. He wouldn't give him up for the world. He knew that, but he still felt terrible. 

He rolled over to look at his boyfriend. He looked so angelic, hair cradling his face, framing it with elegance. What would Kokichi think if he told him what happened? Would he hate him? Would he get mad at Rantaro? Would he start a ruckus and confront him? The outcomes were all bad. Messy. 

But it was fine. He turned Rantaro down. That should've been the end of it, right? Right. Nothing was going to happen to their relationship. 

Shuichi Saihara retired for the night. Loradsey Island was their next stop.

-

At the stroke of midnight, Kyoko Kirigiri shot out of bed and just like a shadow she disappeared into Abigail's darkness. There was something she needed to confirm, evidence she still needed to build upon her theory, and this was a perfect opportunity to get it done.

Under the cover of stealthy moonlight Kyoko made her way back up to the bridge to continue digging through files. 

But when she peered through the glass window in the door, she saw the blackened silhouette of a woman looming over Ava's unconscious body.

-

"SHUICHI!" Kokichi shook him with enthusiasm, bouncing on his heels. "Wake up! Shu-Shu!"

Shuichi cracked an eye open. "Hm?"

"Look outside!" he ordered. "Come on, lazy bones!"

"Mm. Okay." The detective sat up lethargically and rubbed his eyes. He looked out the window in between their beds. "There's nothing there. Just water."

"No, no." Kokichi grabbed Shuichi by the arm and began to pull him out of bed. " _Outside_ outside! Let's go!"

Shuichi gave a pitiful groan in protest. "I'm not even dressed."

"I don't care. You're hot!" insisted Kokichi. "C'mon, get up."

The detective simply obliged to his boyfriend's demands and peeled himself from the warmth of his bed. 

"Pass me a shirt." Shuichi whispered into his ear. He cupped Kokichi's face with loving hands and leaned down to press a soft, sleepy kiss against his lips.

Kokichi gently pulled away in a daze, heart jumping with glee. "Oh my, Shuichi. How forward." he drooled. He tucked a strand of Shuichi's hair behind his ear, then put his DICE-issued hat on his head neatly. "What was that for?" 

"I love you." His voice dripped with nothing but pure adoration. 

Kokichi pecked his cheek in response. "Weirdo."

Minutes later, they arrived where everyone else had already congregated, staring out into the distance with stars in their eyes. At least, it seemed everyone was there. Kyoko and Captain Ava were the only ones missing. He figured they were off talking together, or Kyoko was busy investigating, so he paid them no mind. When Rantaro greeted them with a wave, Shuichi briefly hesitated to return the gesture. He hoped no one noticed.

Kokichi grabbed his hand and pulled him to the side of the boat. "Look! The island is really close!" He pointed into the distance, a bright grin on his dimpled face. 

Shuichi couldn't help but smile when their destination was in view. Peeking out from the foggy horizon was Loradsey Island. It was just like the map. The mountains climbed towards the sky and the volcano spied on them through the army of trees like a barricade.

That was where they would be staying for the next two weeks. Where they would finally catch their mystery killer.

But, just as Rantaro warned, Shuichi needed to make sure they weren't found first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a long wait for updates. I've been updating on wattpad and totally forgot to update on here too. My sincerest apologies!
> 
> I hope you're enjoying the story so far. Right now, we're nearing the halfway mark of the story. Thank you for sticking around!


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